El Orvo Gesha

Costa Rica's Central Valley is a testament to the country's deep-rooted connection with quality coffee production. Here, the boundaries between urban life and coffee cultivation blur seamlessly, creating a unique landscape where the capital city meets the coffee farms.  It’s only a short journey into the zone of farms and micro-mills from San Jose to reach some of Costa Rica’s most regarded producers have their farms.

The shift to micromills in Costa Rica has revolutionized the country's approach to coffee farming. These smaller, producer-owned processing facilities empower farmers to control their entire production chain, fostering a diverse and vibrant coffee scene with complete transparency.

The Don Sabino micro-mill in Sabanilla, run by father-son duo Hiver and Estevan, has transitioned to exclusively producing natural process coffee in less than a decade. This method allows the inherent flavours of their high-quality harvest to shine through. Combining the natural processing technique with the unique terroir of the Central Valley and the expertise of Hiver and Estevan results in a cup profile that is both distinctive and approachable, representing their approach to coffee with aplomb.

The harvest arrives at the micro-mill late afternoon, is checked for quality before being unloaded onto the raised drying beds.  Dried in the sun over a month, the coffee is always protected from high temperature.  This helps retain sweetness and build the fruitiness in the flavours during the first, moister phase of drying.

Main flavours of dried red berry fruit, maple syrup and creamy nougat roll effortlessly onto a chocolate and ripe citrus finish.  Subtle florals and hints of apricot, signature traits of Gesha, come through as the coffee cools while a warming brown spice note that builds and adds depth.  The mouthfeel is luxuriously creamy and smooth, with a silky sweetness underpinning a balanced, complex acidity of medium intensity.

This all makes El Orvo a versatile cross-over coffee for brewing and whether you drink filter, French Press or espresso.  Filter leans to the maple syrup and nougat like aspects of the coffee while aeropress or French press will bring out berry fruit and hints of yellow tropical fruit.