New 2024 Costa Rica Microlots

As fall sets in and we take a glace at an already bustling year, it’s easy to see that we’re still full steam ahead here at VCT-HQ with another batch of new coffees to explore. Now this month we have six new 2024 Costa Rica Mircolots to dig into. They are all in stock and ready to ship too! We also have new stock of both of our marquis Costa Rica coffees, the El Tigre and Tarrazu Puma. But with so much ground to cover on the microlots, we’re going to jump right in and get started. Please enjoy all the details our team has prepared for you in this month’s Vournas Voice.

This month we’re very pleased to announce 5 new Ethiopia coffees from Guji and Yirgacheffe. We have a great selection of washed and naturals from several to choose from. Sourcing exceptional coffees is always a challenge, but it is always so satisfying when we get to experience them in our cupping room, and then share them with our family of roasters. Likewise, we hope you will enjoy reading the details on our new offerings from Ethiopia, the incredible birthplace of coffee, and home to some of the most sought after origins and famed cups in the business. At the same time they have become more and more difficult to secure and transport back to the states. Whatever the circumstances, it is pretty much universally agreed that they’re certainly worth the effort!

The farmers in Guji and Yirgacheffe have historically produced some of the best of the best when it comes to Ethiopia. And whether you’re in the washed camp or a classic, natural process romantic – we have some outstanding new selections for you to explore.

Six New 2024 Costa Rica Microlots Added To Our Roster

Costa Rica, the beautiful land of beaches, waterfalls, vacation resorts, chocolate, rum and of course, coffee! More and more producers in Central America, Costa Rica included, have begun setting aside portions of their farms for specializing in microlots. These could be single variety explorations, special process assignments – or both! Lucky for you, Vournas Coffee has a little bit of everything to offer in our 2024 Costa Rica Microlots lineup.

Our journey will take us through Hacienda Sonora in the Central Valley, where we’ll explore a few honey and natural process offerings. Next we’re going to the West Valley to see what’s new with producers Marvin Barrantes and Olman Urena. The trip ends in the small region of Santa Cruz, Tarrazu where a coop of 15 small producers is procuring a magnificent mix of varieties in their newest honey process microlot.

Hacienda Sonora El Churro Microlot

H.Sonora El Churro

Our Hacienda Sonora El Churro Microlot is a blend of 50-50 natural processed and black-honey processed coffees. Named for the universally loved churro doughnut stick, this unique blended process exclusive to the El Churro Microlot has been created to maximize cup potential with results that can be reproduced time and again each season.

Hacienda Sonora El Churro Microlot Notes:

Raspberry aroma. Notes of brown sugar and caramel. Medium acidity, creamy body.

Father and son owners, Alberto and Diego Guardia have taken full advantage of the 20+ arabica varieties that they produce, selecting a broad ensemble for their El Churro. All told, the ensemble consists of Centro Americano, Caturra, Red Catuai, Yellow Caturra, Sarchimor, Obata, Villalobos and Villa Sarchi varieties. The resulting cup is exceptional, with a creamy body and a natural balance between body and acidity. Ships in Grainpro.

Hacienda Sonora Obata Natural Microlot

H.Sonora Obata Nat
Our Hacienda Sonora Obata Natural Microlot is a 100% Red Obata variety producing a complex cup with fruity notes and vanilla. Red Obata, a cross between Timor and Villa Sarchi was developed in Brazil and introduced to Costa Rica in 2014 as a variety with high tolerance to rust.
Hacienda Sonora Obata Natural Microlot Notes:
Strawberry and blood orange aroma. Notes of black currant jam with hints of vanilla, blueberry and raspberry. Medium acidity, heavy body.
Going back to its roots over a century ago, Hacienda Sonora has remained connected to the specialty scene as a leader in innovative processing and mixed planting of coffee varieties. Alberto Guardia has been in charge since the 70’s, and together with his son Diego they manage all of Sonora’s 197 acres, keeping each of their coffee varieties strictly separated as individual growing plots. Ships in Grainpro bags.

Hacienda Sonora Yellow Honey Microlot

H.Sonora Obata Nat
Our Hacienda Sonora Yellow Honey Microlot is hand-picked and expertly pulped to preserve 70% of the mucilage. After a floater separation process, it is patio dried for 9 days using different thickness layers depending on the day, and warehoused at 14% humidity for 3 days. Afterwards it is mechanically dried for better uniformity at temperatures never exceeding 35°C (95° F).
Hacienda Sonora Yellow Honey Microlot Notes:
Sweet grapefruit and chocolate aroma. Notes of tangerine, lemon and chocolate. Heavy body with medium acidity.
Catigua is a Yellow Catuai and Timor hybrid variety. It has earned its palace at Hacienda Sonora thanks to a delicious cup quality, high productivity and extraordinary rust resistance. The size of the plants are similar to Catuai, making it easy to plant them close together. Ships in Grainpro bags.

Marvin Barrantes Sarchimor Honey Microlot

Marvin Barrantes
Our Marvin Barrantes Sarchimor Honey Microlot comes from a small 18 acre farm in Costa Rica’s West Valley belonging to owner and producer Marvin Barrantes. The cherries are handpicked and monitored in the wash tanks to separate low quality floaters, with 100% of the mucilage left on the remaining beans. Drying is done on African beds, with an added 12 days in a solar greenhouse.
Marvin Barrantes Sarchimor Honey Microlot Notes:
Berry aroma. Fruity notes of strawberry and lemon with bright acidity.

Marvin began milling operations in 2012 with a small pulper and several African beds, opting for all the coffee to be 100% sun-dried. The first single varietals harvested were Caturra, Sarchimor, and Millennium. The mill, named “Reina Elizabeth,” honors the farm’s previous owner, Elisa Alfaro Hidalgo (1928-2016), who was Marvin’s mother with a pair of fameously blue eyes, leading the locals in San Luis to say that only a queen could have eyes like hers! Ships in Grainpro bags.

Olman Urena Honey Microlot

Olman Urena Honey Micro
Our Olman Urena Honey Microlot comes from third generation farmer, Olman Urena, who has owned and produced coffee on his farm for over 25 years. The Palmichal micro mill where his microlot is processed is state-of-the-art; it includes patios for sun-drying, elevated beds for more rigorous drying, and for more inclement weather, a greenhouse and specially designed drum dryers.
Olman Urena Honey Microlot Notes:
Tootsie roll and cotton candy aroma. Notes of sweet, ripened strawberry, orange and brown sugar. Medium body and acidity.

We first began carrying Olman’s microlots in 2016. Hard to believe it has been eight years since that first exceptional cup of his honey process was received in our cupping room! We take pride in showcasing the exceptional skills of our coffee producers. The journey from seed to cup begins with producers like Mr. Urena, whose passion and skill creates exceptional cups like this to offer. Ships in Grainpro bags.

Santa Cruz Honey Microlot

Santa Cruz Honey Micro
Our Santa Cruz Honey Microlot comes from just 15 small producers from the small growing community of Santa Cruz. All together there are less than 50 acres from which these coffees were sourced. As for varieties, the lot consists of handpicked Caturra, Red Catuai and Yellow Catuai. The approach of combining several different farms for a honey processed ensemble representing the Santa Cruz region has been designed to build more complexity within the cup.
Santa Cruz Honey Microlot Notes:
Strawberry and orange aroma. Notes of cane sugar, lemon and orange blossom. Medium to light body and acidity..

The approach of combining several different farms for a honey processed ensemble representing Santa Cruz has been designed to build more complexity within the cup. As a result, their microlot has a balanced acidity and good body. Each Santa Cruz farm selects only the ripest cherries, picking them on prime harvesting days and receiving a premium for their best selections. Ships in Grainpro bags.

 

Happy Roasting,

Kat Vournas, C.O.O. & C.F.O. Vournas Coffee Trading

Kat Vournas
C.O.O. & C.F.O.

What We Have To Offer

To view a full listing of our current coffees please visit our coffee offerings page. For additional info on coffee growing, processing and roasting, please visit our farm-to-cup page.

Visit Us In Thousand Oaks

There’s always an open invitation waiting for you to join us at our cupping table in Thousand Oaks.

Feel free to email us anytime or call to speak with our friendly staff M-F, 8AM – 4:30PM PST about our new 2024 Costa Rica Microlots offerings, what else we have coming in, and how we can help improve your roasting business. 800.761.JAVA

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