Filter Finca Sabanilla

We taste blackberry, coffee cherry and dried cranberry.

Species Arabica
Varietal Starmaya
Process Alma Negra, Natural
Origin Sabanilla, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Roast Filter

Oscar and Francisca Chacón are third-generation coffee producers, and coffee is more than family heritage: it’s at the heart of everything they do.

In 2005, after years of selling cherries to a cooperative at market price, they joined the emerging micromill revolution, purchasing their own depulper to gain control over quality and pricing. “At first, we didn’t really know what we were doing,” Oscar says. “We were just experimenting.” That experimentation led to some of the most exciting flavor profiles we’ve tasted.

In 2008, an earthquake cut off electricity and water during harvest. Unable to produce washed coffees, Francisca drew on her knowledge of African processing and built raised beds, making them among the first in Costa Rica to produce Honey and Natural specialty coffees.

This lot features the resilient Starmaya variety, a cross between Marsellesa and an Ethiopian landrace. The coffee dries with constant movement, then on raised beds during the day and sheltered indoors at night to slow fermentation. The result is a well-structured coffee with tropical fruit sweetness and remarkable depth.

These beans are responsibly sourced in partnership with Cafe Imports.