Costa Rica - Aquiares Natural

This lot underwent natural processing which begins with harvested ripe coffee cherries, which are then sorted at the mill before processing. The cherries are then spread out on the drying patios where the drying process begins. After the cherries are partially dried, they are moved to raised beds until reaching their optimal humidity. Drying takes 16–20 days. 

Esperanza is an F1 hybrid variety generated by a cross between Sarchimor T-5296 and wild Ethiopia ET-25. This variety is unique to Aquiares and is well suited to the farm’s terroir. Originally identified as L04A05 when it was developed, Aquiares chose the name Esperanza, which translates to hope in English, to indicate the hope that experimental varieties like this offer for the future of coffee farming in a changing climate. 

The name Aquiares means “land between rivers” in the Huetar indigenous language, and Aquiares Estate is commonly referred to as “Aquiares Coffee and Community.” It is the largest farm in Costa Rica and home to 1,800 people. Although the farm was founded in 1890, Alfonso Robelo is the man responsible for its transformation a century later.  He brought a visionary approach to Aquiares, a farm suffering from low prices and instability. Aquiares had more than 200 employee homes on the farm, but because none owned their home, there was great insecurity in the workforce. Alfonso saw this as an opportunity to strengthen the company by having people feel pride in the coffee they produce. He evolved the farm into a small town where workers purchased their own homes. Today, under the management of Alfonso's song, Diego, Aquiares remains a model of sustainable agriculture.