Drop #5: Hacienda Sonora Natural Dwarf Caturra

1/2

$14.00

This lot is special to us because it is our first time offering a naturally processed coffee. We gravitated immediately to this one because of its clean taste (lacked ferment flavors), pleasant malic acidity and creaminess. In the cup, we found flavors reminiscent of red anjou pear, green fig fruitiness, an artificial red cherry flavor like a jolly rancher, and fruit leather as it cools. This cup is wild, tart and creamy, but still presents impressively clean on the finish.

Owned by Diego and Alberto Guardia, Hacienda Sonora sits at the bottom of Poás Valcano. 45 hectares are allotted to coffee, 20 to sugar cane, and 35 to a wild forest reserve full of native plants. The forest acts as refuge for local birds and animals. The farm runs entirely on hydroelectric renewable energy. They process coffee entirely as honey or natural to reduce rainwater. The Guardias are also committed to paying employees fair living wage.

This is a special varietal called Dwarf Caturra, which is an extended dwarfism of the Caturra varietal. Funny enough, its parent, Caturra, was originally a dwarf mutation of the red bourbon varietal.

Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floater separated. Sun-dried for 12 days. Then, mechanically dried to 10.5% moisture. Then, husked & sorted.

We were anxiously searching for a cleaner natural that could fit our extra light profiling. We are also lucky enough to work in the same co-roasting space as Emily from Hacea. We sampled 30+ honey/natural coffees this year and passed on all of them. This varietal initially caught our eye as a denser seed, even at lower altitude. After cupping and hearing the farm story, we were sold.

Green cost: $24.12/kg ($1.19/kg tariff)
Package and roasting costs: $2.91/bag; $10/kg
Profile and sample use: ~2.4kg
Approx. Margin: 35.98%

Resting: Wait 30 days for peak experience (degas the night before by opening bag for about an hour). We're impatient and think this has tasted high clarity as early as 20 days after roast too.

We're enjoying the nordic roast as pourover and low-pressure espresso. The light-medium profile we found incredibly versatile to brew method.

Temperature range: 194-196°F
Water: Tap/Demineralized and Third Wave Water Light Roast
Grind Settings: Medium Coarse (600-675µm)
Target Drawdown Time: 2:15-2:30

4 Pour Recipe:
1. 1/4 water for Bloom and wait 40-45s, swirl dripper
2. Then, every 30 seconds pour 1/4 water with medium agitiation. Swirl the dripper after the final pour.

Drops are typically prepared in two formats: a standard 100g / 200g bag offering at your preferred roast level or as a roast experiment.

Standard bag lets you support the producer, exporter, and the project without having to buy and drink coffee you're less interested in. You still get to observe and critique our roast methods at your preferred lightness but in larger quantities.
Roast experiment lets you participate in 3 blind tastings of 60g bags to evaluate 3 different roast curves. After the drops have been released, profile info and our own sensory feedback will be shared alongside any collected feedback from tasters.

Note that roast level selection does not apply to experiments sent out.

We work as quickly as possible to roast and ship your coffee within a week of your order placement. Times vary on roaster rental availability and our limited roasting schedule. We typically roast on two subsequent days twice a month. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with further information. Delivery times vary on location.

Because we are selling an agricultural product with limited shelf life, we do not accept returns. However, our goal is for every customer to be absolutely satisfied with their purchase. If you aren't enjoying the experience, let us know in an Instagram DM and we'll do our best to work with you to make it right!

Drop #5: Hacienda Sonora Natural Dwarf Caturra

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