Costa Rica Trinidad

These beans were grown by the villagers of the La Trinidad comunity. It is a washed process microlot Costa Rican from the Tarrazu region. It is made up of Caturra and Catuai varietals and grown at an altitude of 4000-5000 feet above sea level. This is part of a community initiative where the coffee farmers are paid and rewarded well for their crop, but also, money is used to build bridges, schools, and water holding tanks in the village. It's part of the Coopetarrazu Fair Trade co-op.

This bean is best as a light roast I take it maybe 30 seconds past the end of the first cracks. It has a toffee and almond chocolate creamy texture with mild floral and citrus flavor at the finish. Darker roasts take away a lot of the character from the coffee but are still pleasant enough to drink. The body thins out and the mild undertones go away, but you still have a nutty caramelized sugar taste that is not unappealing.

We put this one side by side with the Costa Rica La Minita (both coffees are from the same region, same varietals, same altitude, so you would expect a similar taste, but they are different). Two of us preferred that one, and two of us preferred this one, so it is really personal preference, but everything about what both coffees stand for are worth supporting. It really is more whether you prefer a bright, floral, citrus Costa Rica, or a creamier chocolate, nutty one.

US Arrival: June 2017