This is a single micro-lot from a one producer, processed at the Helsar de Zarcero coffee wet mill. They have been turning out some of the nicest coffees from the West Valley area for several years now, and selecting from particular farmer lots allows for even more consistency and quality in the cup. This is a Caturra varietal coffee, and processed using the Penagos ecological machine wash process (rather than traditional wet-process fermentation method). The cup results we get are so close to the classic, clean, bright flavor of high grown Costa Rica that we feel the new process method, while saving water and better for the environment, also results in flavors similar or better than the old style wet-process method. The key is not just in how you separate the coffee seed from the fruit, but care in drying. Helsar is great at drying, with covered drying patios that trap convective heat flows. All this is a bit technical, I know. But you really can taste the result of good processing in the cup.

In the dry grounds, there is a distinct sweetness, malt, caramel and walnut, while the wet aroma has a unique savory-sweet complexity. The cup has a bright character, zesty citrus acidity, balanced by a honey sweetness and a hint of melon. The body is light, but suits this high-toned and mouth-refreshing flavor profile. As it cools, the cup sweetens, and pear juice fruit character emerges (City+ roast level). Darker roasts have a nice cocoa tone, and more moderate brightness. It's a wonderfully transparent coffee, clear and clean flavor profile, what classic Costa Rica coffee should be.

Finca Bella Vista is an award winning farm in the area of Leon Cortez de Tarrazu. It has the honor of being top coffee in the 2009 Costa Rica Cup of Excellence. Bella Vista is part of a larger farm called La Loma with a lower, flatter section called La Ladera, then a rapidly inclining slope which is San Francisco, peaking at 1800 meters. Above this is Bella Vista, which includes the peak of this "mountain of coffee". In fact, when I walked the farm earier this year, the very top parts were still not ripe for picking. And in fact they plants looked less healthy as I drew near to the 2000 meter mark. (There is an inflection point where coffee produces less and is more susceptible to leaf fungus due to the cloud cover that persists at higher altitudes). It's a very high farm in any case. The exporter I was with turned to me and said, "We're way up there, bro." The farm is owned by the Bonilla-Solis family, as is the Don Mayo mill that is run by Hector and Pablo Bonilla. Like the other lot we have from the greater La Loma farm, it is ideal situation. The Bonillas own their own cherry production, and don't have to compete to buy the cherry against other local buyers, and can manage the quality from the tree through the picking and processing.

Bella Vista has a wonderful dry fragrance from the ground coffee; honey-toffee sweetness, touched by juicy plum fruit notes. The wet aromatics have almond praline, caramel, and fig spread on toast. The cup has a striking brightness, rindy citrus and quince fruit, a date sugar sweetness, and red apple notes in the lighter roast levels (City to City+ roast). Darker roasts have a black currant jam note, and the same red apple of the light roasts emerges as the cup cools, finishing with a touch of apple skin tightness. The cup cools with some Earl Grey tea-like qualities of bergamont, and a touch of jasmine. City+ roast seems ideal, although a melange blend I did of 1/3 City roast, 2/3 Full City was rather astounding in complexity, seeming to flesh out dimension in the cup that was unseen in the straight roasts.