This new Costa Rican coffee comes from the plantation Hacienda Rio Negro which is located east of the town of Sabalito in the southern most part of Costa Rica along the border of Panama in a coffee growing region known as "Coto Brus." The region is named after the indigenous Brunca tribes "Coctus and Brusi." Coffee first started in this region in 1949. Mr. Luis Wachong Lee, a Chinese immigrant, managed the farm until 1991 when it was sold to the Volcafe Group. The Volcafe Group controlled the farm from 1991 until its acquisition by La Minita Corp in 2006. In 2001, Hacienda Rio Negro became the first farm in Costa Rica to become Rainforest Alliance Certified and in 2001 it represented over 10% of the land of all of the Rainforest Alliance Certified Farms in the world. With quality standards set by La Minita, not one bean of coffee is shipped from Rio Negro without prior quality testing and approval. Hacienda Rio Negro was rebuild from the ground up to accommodate the standards expected by the staff and clients of La Minita. There are about 703 acres of coffee production here with 815 acres of natural forest preserve, and another 150 acres of reforestation and the infrastructure consumes another 45 acres. There are many different cultivars of coffee: Caturra, Catuai, Catimor, and Hibrido, with the majority of the trees being Catuai and Caturra.
Cupping Notes: medium to full body, good acidity, and well-balanced.