Costa Rica Finca Jose
COSTA RICA
FINCA JOSE
DARK COCOA, ALLSPIE, BERRY TEA + PRALINE
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: La Piedra de Rivas, Chirripó, Ethiopia
PRODUCER: Finca José
ELEVATION: 1,950 masl
PROCESS: Honey
TASTING NOTES: Dark cocoa, allspice, soft berry tea, and praline.
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
Finca José - La Piedra de Rivas, Costa Rica
Unique Location and Setting
Finca José is tucked away in a unique rocky outcropping in the area of Chirripó National Park, a zone called La Piedra de Rivas. Unlike the coffee regions most are familiar with—Tarrazú, Central Valley, or the Western Valley regions—this part of La Piedra de Rivas is on a road less traveled, a dead-end road actually, where the end intersects with the few micro mills serving farmers in the region.
Farm History and Development
Finca José is a 16-hectare farm that tops out at 1,950 meters and is run by a man of the same name, who acquired this land from his grandfather some time ago. Over the past few years, José has invested in building out a micro mill on his property, complete with wet and dry milling machinery, which allows him to have a more direct hand in the sale of his milled coffee rather than sell whole cherry to one of the neighboring mills.
This is now his sixth or seventh year of operation, and José has managed to make many improvements to the original mill, including new dry milling equipment and raised beds.
Processing and Cup Profile
This is a honey process coffee, meaning that some of the fruit is left intact on the coffee seed during the 1-2 week drying phase. This can lead to a more fruit-forward cup, muted acidity, and bigger body. While "bigger body" is certainly true, José's coffee maintains the cup clarity of a fully washed coffee.
Family Connection
It's worth mentioning that his brother Johnny also has a mill down the road called "Corazón de Jesús," which we've carried in previous years as well.
General Brewing Instructions
- Filtered water. Spring water is ideal. Removing chloride, sulfur, and iron is essential.
- A burr grinder. The more even the coffee particles, the better the coffee. Burr grinders, whether manual or electric, will do a better job than "whirly-blade" grinders. Invest in a burr grinder. Your taste buds (and coffee roaster) will thank you.
- A scale. I know using a scale can seem a bit like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Trust me, you can only brew consistently great coffee with a scale. Water and coffee are hard to measure without one.
- Clean equipment. Properly cleaning your equipment is the only way to avoid stale and rancid coffee flavors entering your cup. Please keep your equipment clean. The sooner and more often you clean your gear, the easier it will be in the long run. Add it to your ritual and thank us later.
- Delicious and freshly roasted Color Coffee
- Hario V60 02. Check out Scott Rao's video on how to brew a better pourover than your local cafe does.
- French Press. Check out James Hoffman's video on how to brew a next level cup.
- Aeropress. Check out Tim Wendelboe's video on how to brew an exceptionally easy and delicious cup.
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?