Costa Rica - Hacienda Sonora

Origin: Central Valley, Costa Rica

Farmer: Alberto and Diego Guardia

Altitude: 1300 MASL

Varieties: Obatá

Process: Natural Pirámide

Drying Method: Covered Patio and Pyramid Layered Method

Drying Time: 12 days

______________________________________________________________

In the words of Apex Coffee Imports: "Hacienda Sonora is one of the leading specialty coffee farms in Costa Rica. They are working with more than 20 varietals with several unique processing methods. The farm itself has been in the Guardia family for more than 100 years but has focused exclusively on specialty coffee since 1999. Despite the historically low coffee prices throughout 1999 and the early 2000s, Alberto invested extensively in improving the quality of his coffees by purchasing his own mill and developing unique honey and natural process methods for his coffees. This coffee in particular was dried using a "Piramide" process, where the coffees are covered early in the afternoon when the temperature is hot, then piled up in a pyramid layered way to modulate the temperature of the cherries throughout the day. This helps to even out the fermentation and avoid the development of "boozy" flavours sometimes associated with naturals. These evolving tactics plus their impeccable organization and dedication to sustainability make this one of the most progressive farms in Costa Rica."