COSTA RICA LOS ALPES NATURAL

Aromas del Chirripo is a family project through and through with Wilfrido, a visionary and expert cultivator at the helm. His two sons run the wet mill and coordinate their entire production. Wilfrido's wife and daughter are very much involved in the project as well providing support in the farms, mill, and everyday life. While this southernmost coffee producing region of Costa Rica was not known for high quality coffee a lot of families in this particular town are changing the narrative. Many of them come from agricultural backgrounds, but not necessarily coffee. Aromas del Chirripo began planting coffee when they saw potential for it in their mountainous town. After years of growing and selling their fruit, they decided to add even more value to their product and process it all on their own.

Los Alpes is Aromas del Chirripo’s premier farm. The name is given due to the similarity of the landscape to the Austrian Alpes. The mountains jet out over the Pacific Ocean and are at the foot of the tallest peak in Costa Rica, Chirripo Mountain. The trees are relatively young (about 10 years old) and the family takes care of them meticulously. Beginning at 1500 masl and climbing rapidly to 1900 masl, the micro climate and virgin soil play a key role in the farm’s quality output.

ET-47 is a specific, rust-resistant Ethiopian variety developed for disease resistance and good flavor.

Natural reposado processing begins by collecting the coffee in the fields as ripely and uniformly as possible. The fruit is brought to the wet mill later that day or the next morning. Fermentation is already beginning. Once at the wet mill, the fresh fruit is placed in poly bags, laid on their side, flipped 3 times a day, and fermented for 4-6 days depending on the current climate. From there, the fermented cherries are spread out on covered ground, raised dry beds, or a mix under protective plastic roof in order to evenly dry over the course of a month.

Los Alpes is a farm that is new to us and we've been blown away by the fresh papaya and bright acidity in this cup. The attention to detail in the processing results in a coffee that is tropical, balanced, and refreshing.