Costa Rica - Hermosa

Tasting notes: Grapefruit, Pear, & Caramel

We love this fruity washed coffee from Costa Rica and are thrilled to be able to support the Coope Dota Cooperative. Based in the small town of Santa Maria de Dota at the centre of the growers of Tarrazu is the processing mill & facilities belonging to the cooperative which was established in 1960 and represents nearly 1100 producers.

They were the first coffee processors to achieve certified carbon-neutral status partially due to their ingenious use of waste honey water as fertiliser. The cooperative focuses on fair pricing, quality & the people involved. They try to address gender inequalities by providing opportunities for women so that more of the younger generations are able to stay in the area reducing the generational drift to big cities.

The cooperative support the youth in sports, seeing members in the Paris Olympics with Taekwondo and cycling, as well as keeping an eye on the future by running a coffee school certified by ICAFE. This is focussed at 17- and 18- year-olds and is on top of their diploma, covering all aspects of the industry from the cherries through to being a Barista. It has been running now for nearly 20 years. 

Country: Costa Rica

Region: San José, Dota, 

Altitude: 1,500–2600m

Varietal: Red Catuai, Yellow Catuai, Red Caturra, Yellow Caturra 

Process:  Washed

Roast: Light

Tasting Notes: Grapefruit, Pear, & Caramel

The process

Cherries are picked across some of the 1070 members farms and delivered to either bank stations in a centralised area or brought directly to the beneficio in Santa Maria de Dota.

Bank stations deliver as soo as they have a lorry load of the same quality, the main beneficio unloads directly in to the right department.

Cherry is measured by fanega and cajuela, and first goes through one of 12 depulpers.

Then follows a dry fermentation stage of 16-18 hours before water is added, finishing in a wash and removal of all the mucilage.

Beans are then dried in pre-dryers and guardiolas with air temp always below 40°C until dried to 11% moisture.