Specialty coffee from Costa Rica has been a core offering for WPCR since our founding in 2014. We’ve had some amazing offerings over the years, and this is our third go round with coffee processed at La Candelilla micro-mill. We are delighted to offer this washed coffee with one of the cleanest flavor profiles out there. A proper classic cup!

La Candelilla was one of the first micromills in Tarrazú, opening in the year 2000, though the idea to open the mill came to the growers in 1997. It's a collaboratively owned micromill, established by seven smallholder producers in Tarrazú: The farmers who use it and deliver their harvests to the mill share ownership. This lot is from one of the founders of the mill, Ricardo Hernandez Naranjo, who was one of the first to suggest to his farmer mates that they should start the "mini beneficio."

Don Ricardo has been growing coffee for 35+ years, and is dedicated to the process, as are many of the producers who utilize La Candelilla. Don Ricardo also worked for 12+ years as a consultant at beneficios in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and even Tanzania, helping mills improve their processing and learning more about coffee quality.

"The production of processing specialty coffees is something I have been studying for 15 years". "I have had to develop the processes as well as to identify the different varieties for special batches." He grows several varieties and processes them in many ways, including this classic washed presentation of a Typica variety.

His trees grow in rich ultisol, a type of red-clay soil particularly fertile in humid tropical or subtropical areas. This soil composition contains no calcium carbonate or lime. Once the ripe cherry is brought to the mill, it is processed depending on the profile and the weather.

Tasting Notes: Balanced and smooth, toffee and cocoa, sweet citric finish

Roast Profile: Medium Roast

Origin: Costa Rica

Region: Tarrazú

Farm: Palmillera

Variety: Caturra, Catuai

Processing: Washed

Altitude: 1,400–1,900 masl - 4,600—6235 ft