Ramirez Estate Bio: Ramirez Estate Bio: In the Dominican Republic, the family-owned Ramirez Estate run by the third generation employs over 400 workers who live and work on the property and make nearly 300% higher wages than Fair Trade Standard. Before the Ramirez family purchased the land in the early 1990s, the land was impotent and bare––natural water springs had long since dried up and farmers had only been raising cattle.
Today, the Ramirez Estate is one of the most environmentally-progressive and socially-conscious proprietorships in the world because they recycle materials used during coffee bean processing. First, coffee cherry parts that would normally be thrown out are converted into natural gas through fermentation––in turn, this natural gas powers their facility. Next, the used water is also recycled, filtered, and returned to water systems. Lastly, cherry pulps are added to a compost pile where they’re used as fertilizer useful to nearby farms.
In addition to creating exceptional coffee, the Ramirez Estate also gives back to its community in countless ways. By building schools in rural areas, local children no longer have to walk nearly twenty miles a day, and after donating books and computers, students have more opportunities to learn. The Ramirez Estate also allows other farmers in the Dominican Republic to use their processing plant to assist in coffee export.
The pictures seen on our website are part of our personal experience touring the estate and meeting the Ramirez family––they are humble, honest, and produce some of the highest-scoring coffees we carry.
Aged Natural: Like its relative, the Dominican Republic Natural, the organic Aged Natural Ramirez bean is naturally-processed and grown in the Jarabacoa region (1,400 meters above sea level). Its fruit is left on the bean for up to a full year, which produces an awe-inspiring flavor. Once separated at a mill, rotating dryers wick away the beans’ moisture. The notes are fruity and sensational, with a heavy smell of strawberry and cherry.
Learn more about Dominican coffee beans with our DR coffee guide.
Cupping Notes: Heavy aromas of strawberry, cherry and cedar with a fermented flavor of chocolate, ripe stone fruit and a smooth finish.
Try before you buy with a 1/2lb sample!!