COSTA RICA DIEGO ROBELO - ESPRESSO

Region: Turrialba, Aquiares Variety: Centroamericano Process: Red honey Altitude: 1200-1400m Notes: Red apple, vanilla, cane sugar. The name "Aquiares" means “land between rivers” in the Huetar indigenous language, and Aquiares Estate is commonly referred to as “Aquiares Coffee and Community”. It is the largest farm in Costa Rica and home to 1,800 people. The farm was founded in 1890, and a century later it was fully transformed by Alfonso Robelo. Alfonso arrived in Costa Rica in the 1980s seeking refuge from the civil war in Nicaragua, where he was politically active. When politics soured into violence, he fled the country to keep his family and himself safe after receiving several threats against his life. Once in Costa Rica, Alfonso began building the Aquiares community on the enchanting slopes of the Turrialba volcano, a lush area of forests, rivers, fauna, and bright flora. Alfredo challenged the status quo, transforming the relationship between landowner and farm workers. He brought a visionary approach to Aquiares, a farm suffering from low prices and instability. Aquiares had more than 200 employee homes on the farm, but because none owned their home, there was great insecurity in the workforce. Alfonso saw an opportunity to strengthen the company by helping people feel proud of the coffee they produce. He oversaw the farm evolving into a small town where workers purchased their own homes. Today, Aquiares remains a model of sustainable agriculture. Nowadays Alfonso’s son, Diego, manages the farm. Under his lead, the farm has taken a fresh approach to specialty coffee, exploring the farm’s potential. The cherries are picked at their peak ripeness and selected by floatation. In this way, the denser cherries sink and can be separated from the unripe ones. Once the selection is complete, the cherries are depulped. Red Honey Process involves drying with mucilage for 2 days, followed by pre-drying on ceramic floors for 8 days in an African beds.