Farami Catuaí, Costa Rica

The amazing coffees of Farami de Dota are the product of an amazing partnership between two equally talented farmers. Husband and wife team Juan Luis Fallas and his wife Maria Eugenia Ramirez have been working the land just outside of Santa María de Dota since the 1980s, when the original plantings were sourced from orphaned trees, just growing by the roadside. Since these humble beginnings, this inseparable pair has worked hard to create the award-winning farm they have today.

Organic farming practices are integral to the production of coffee here – in addition to coffee, Juan Luis and Maria have a passion for animal husbandry. Fresh organic fertilizers from their beloved pigs, goats, and fowl help keep the coffee lush and well-fed, and the methane produced as a byproduct is collected and used to power their home and small micromill. And when it comes to coffee production, no detail is overlooked. Fully-ripened catuura cherries are processed at the home micromill, starting with a unique short underwater fermentation before ecopulping into various styles of honey coffees. The sticky parchment is then laid to dry on raised beds under a unique mesh canopy that keeps the elements out, but allows for plenty of fresh airflow. Finally, the parchment is stored before milling in a temperature-controlled bodega – a small, but very important detail that further separates Farami coffee from the rest. This particular lot is processed in the red-honey style. Maximum fruit is left on the green coffee parchment, leading to syrupy sweet flavors and a downright juicy profile.