Aquiares Estate Centroamericano Washed, Costa Rica | ESPRESSO

Tasting notes: Sugar, lemon butter icing, strawberry jam Origin: Costa Rica. Turrialba Processing: Washed Altitude: 1200 to 1400 metres above sea level Varietal: Centroamericano Owner: Don Alfonso Robelo Aquiares Estate is one of Costa Rica's oldest and largest coffee farms, producing coffee continuously since 1890 on the fertile slopes of the Turrialba Volcano. Covering 924 hectares, with around 80% planted under shade-grown Arabica, the estate combines more than a century of coffee-growing experience with a strong commitment to innovation, sustainability and community development. This lot is grown at 1,200–1,400 metres above sea level and is produced exclusively from Centroamericano, the first F1 hybrid released for Central America. Developed by CIRAD, PROMECAFE and CATIE, Centroamericano is a cross between the Ethiopian heirloom Rume Sudan and the rust resistant T5296 Sarchimor, combining excellent cup quality with high productivity, large bean size and exceptional resistance to coffee leaf rust. Benefiting from fertile volcanic soils, abundant rainfall and diverse microclimates, Aquiares continues to invest in varietal research, plant-by-plant farm management and full traceability from nursery to export. Only carefully selected, fully ripe cherries are used for this lot. After harvesting, the cherries are depulped using a Penagos DCV 306 depulper before undergoing a traditional fully washed process with a short six-hour partial fermentation to remove the remaining mucilage. The coffee is then mechanically washed and gently dried in Guardiola dryers for approximately 32 hours at carefully controlled temperatures of 45–55°C, preserving clarity, sweetness and balance in the cup.