Costa Rica Chirripo Joicafe

Regular price $9.25
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Has the kind of simple, clean bittersweetness in the cup that Costa Rican coffee is known for. Balanced sweetness and acidity, punchy bittersweetness that can be dialed up with roast development. City+ to Full City+. Good for espresso.

Total Score: 86.9
Product Overview
Full Cupping Notes

This lot from the Joicafe micromill has the kind of simple and clean bittersweetness in the cup that Costa Rican coffee is known for. Grinding a City+ released a chocolate hazelnut note, with some pungent bittersweetness behind it, and a hint of honey. The wet aroma drew out more of a dense chocolate tone, along with very subtle fruit suggestion. There's a really nice interplay of balanced sweetness and acidity in the brew, like brown sugar and milk chocolate, with a mild tea-like bright element, and hint of dried apple. Full City roasts are bit more intense, with punchy bittersweetness that's great on it's own, but pretty perfect for milk drinks too. I'm also loving this lot as espresso. I pulled shots at 6 days rest (18g in, 36g out over 30 seconds) and found a chocolate-lovers dream in Joicafe! There's an initial flavor of dark chocolate (like "Extra Dark" 82% Scharffen Berger) that's accented by chocolate puffed rice and orange rind, then unsweetened baking cocoa dials up the intensity in the aftertaste.

COFFEE DETAILS
process methodMachine Washed
cultivarCaturra Types, Modern Hybrids
farm gateYes
Farm Notes

Origin & Farm Notes

When Joiner Alvarado got his start in coffee, he would sell his harvest to other mills in nearby towns. After saving enough money he decided to step out on his own and build his own micro mill called "Joicafe". Joiner's farm is 40 hectares overall, spans an altitude range of 1650 to 2000 meters above sea level, and is planted in Caturra, and Catuaí. In Costa Rica, most "fully washed" process coffees are pulped using a mechanical demucilager calibrated to remove most of the outer cherry and fruit mucilage that's stuck to the seed. The coffee is sometimes rinsed, but never fermented like you'd see in many other Central American countries. Joiner dries his coffee on cement patios for 1-2 weeks, also employing a mechanical dryer to finish coffee when patio space is limited during the harvest peak. This type of "washed" coffee produces more chaff than wet process coffee, and you should make sure to vacuum your roaster between batches.

Specs

Technical Specifications

Key specifications and operating details for this product.

region Rivas, Chirripo
processing Mechanically Washed
drying method Patio Sun-Dried & Mechanical
arrival date Jul 2025
lot size 60
bag size 69 KG
packaging GrainPro Liner
farm gate Yes
cultivar detail Caturra, Catuaí
grade SHB
appearance .2 d/300gr, 15-17 Screen
roast recommendations City+ to Full City+
type Farm Gate
recommended espresso Yes
Reviews