New Release | Costa Rica Nazareth Robles 2023

Snapshot: This fermented dry processed coffee brings exotic flavors like mango, papaya, chocolate, and rum raisin to the cup.

It’s time to get funky! Gracing our line-up for an abbreviated time is a Special Reserve Costa Rica Dry processed coffee by female producer Nazareth Robles. Nazareth is just beginning her coffee career but has a rich family history in coffee production. As the fourth generation to work in coffee, she has a wealth of knowledge and resources to aid in her success. She has learned from her father Leonard Robles and has paid attention to market trends over the years. Their family, back generations ago, strictly did washed processed coffees due to the simplicity of it and demand for clean flavor profiles. As Costa Rica as an origin started to delve into the world of honeys, the Robles family followed suit and began experimenting with honey processing. Recently, to no surprise, there has been a trend in what is called fermented naturals, which is just a fancy way of saying an extended drying process with the cherry intact. And to no surprise, the Robles family is working on fermented naturals! The family is considered some of the pioneers in Tarrau since they began their mill in the early 2000s.

For this coffee, after many trials and errors, Nazareth settled on a unique set of drying practices. First, ripe cherries are harvested from trees and sent through a floatation tank to ensure only the ripest, richest, densest cherries are processed. Once they go through the floater tank, the cherries are placed in mounds on concrete patios to dry for 3 to 4 days untouched. After this, cherries are sent to a static mechanical dryer where consistent warm air is used to dry the cherries. This portion of the process lasts for one week until the now dried cherries are placed in sealed sacks for one month before they are milled.

What you can expect in the cup is rich tropical fruits like mango, papaya, and grilled pineapple, paired with flavors of molasses, honey, and a twist of rum raisin to keep it exotic. The flavors are as unique as its processing. Some people may wonder, why take a coffee and turn it into something so wild? Producers are able to make more money off of different experimental processes. We are proud to support producers in this way and support their experimentation to provide the best, most interesting coffees to us. Nazareth has begun school to study business in the hopes of bringing that education back to her family business. She looks forward to learning more about all aspects of coffee and strives to be the best. We can’t see how this relationship develops and grows!