The Dota Valley, nestled deep within Costa Rica’s renowned Tarrazú region, is home to some of the country’s most structured and expressive coffees. Its steep, forested slopes and cool mountain nights help to slow cherry maturation, intensifying acidity and building complexity in the cup. Santa María de Dota is the main town in the valley and a centre for both traditional production and a wave of micro-mill innovation that has helped redefine Costa Rican specialty coffee over the last two decades.

Among the region’s most inventive producers are the Ureña brothers: César, Martín and Edgar. They have a natural flair for engineering, and at their Chumeca mill it shows in the tools they build: simple, clever, made for the job. Their raised beds sit where airflow and sun exposure suit the coffee best. Everything they build serves one aim, finer control over flavour. The anaerobic tanks used for this micro-lot are fitted with pivots and built-in airlocks, allowing easy access to pH samples without interrupting the process. It is an approach rooted in curiosity and driven by a clear goal to refine flavour through better control.