Costa Rica La Mirella "Honey" Organic

Syrupy sweetness: Flavors of stone fruits, citrus, mint and chocolate wafer.

Farmer: Oscar Chacon and Francisca Cubillo Salas
Location: Central Valley
Processing Type: Honey
Certifications: Organic, Direct Trade
Varietal: Caturra, Bourbon

La Mirella is the healthiest looking farm we have ever been to. Perfect soil, shade, and song birds lend an Eden-like atmosphere to the grounds. La Mirella is located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, near the smoldering Poas Volcano. Francisca Cubillo Salas and Oscar Chacon cultivate about 100 bags annually of signature La Mirella coffee, which has won Costa Rica’s prestigious Cup of Excellence multiple times.

During the harvest, the family employs six coffee pickers, and three staff members to help process the coffee at their Las Lajas mill. They use BRIX meters, which read sugar levels to judge cherry ripeness during the harvest. According to Francisca, coffee has the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness when it reaches 20% sugar.

To create the sought-after “honey” processed lots, the coffee cherry is eliminated mechanically with a Penagos system, which leaves an excess of mucilage surrounding the beans. This mucilage, composed of sugar and alcohol, is absorbed into the bean during the drying process, creating a sweeter, heavier-bodied cup.