Farm: Hacienda Sonora
Region: Central Valley
Elevation: 1100 to 1600 masl
Varietal: Villalobos
Process: Honey
Tasting Notes: Cacao, chocolate, caramel, maple syrup, and panela sugar
About:
Villalobos is a very old varietal that is native to Costa Rica. The Villalobos was originally separated from the Red Catuai on the farm and cultivated in a nursery to spur its production. It has a low yield of cherries, hence, there is a very limited commercial production adding to its scarcity. The Villalobos is processed via the black honey method. This involves de-pulping the cherry skin and leaving as much mucilage on the seed as possible to intensify the sweetness of the coffee.
Diego is a university graduate in mechanical engineering. Now at the helm of the farm, Diego has created his own pre-drying system for processing coffee in all methods. This is similar to a large cooling tray from a coffee roaster. The premise is having the hot air blowing from the bottom of the tray to dry the cherries in their initial phase. The constant rotation of the tray also helps with the drying uniformity. This process helps save up to two days of drying which would traditionally be done on a concrete patio. After our trip to Costa Rica this year, Proud Mary will reinvest into the lab, the aim being to fortify some strong facilities for research and development on the farm. This includes sample roasting and quality grinders for roasted sample evaluation.
