We are very surprised by this Mariana de Aquiares lot. A natural coffee profile with very original flavors. Very fruity and clean, with notes of fruit salad among our roasters: banana, cherries, green plum, figs, yellow kiwi, dried mango, apricot... Good for all tastes. It has a juicy acidity, a silky body and a sweet, slightly tropical aftertaste.
Aquiares is owned by Diego Robelo and his family, and located on the slopes of the Turrialba volcano at 1400 MASL, it is the largest coffee plantation in a single block in Costa Rica. The land is bisected by several watercourses that connect the two large rivers that surround the farm, the Turrialba and the Aquiares. It is a majestic natural setting where a small pre-Columbian community lived hundreds of years ago and vestiges of which can still be found. This is the eighth consecutive year in which we have worked together and the seventh in which we have made a direct deal.
We negotiate the price directly with Diego and he acts as the exporter, so the commission also stays on the farm. We also import it ourselves, contracting the container directly from Costa Rica to Barcelona.
And this year we are even prouder to collaborate with Aquiares, as they have been certified by the sustainability consultancy Enveritas as a company that complies with the EUDR (European Union Deforestation Regulation).
"We have a great responsibility as coffee producers, not only to our immediate buyers but also to the future generations of Costa Rica," explains their CEO, Diego Robelo. "We are proud to have received this recognition from Enveritas and even more proud to have passed this test in our alliance with NOMAD COFFEE, with whom we have been working for 8 years. We can now guarantee to all our main customers that our coffee is and will continue to be deforestation free".
From NOMAD COFFEE we celebrate with joy the certification of Aquiares, a centenary coffee plantation active since 1890, which is also the largest in Costa Rica to be carbon neutral. But Aquiares' efforts are not limited to this: it has 620 hectares of coffee grown under the shade of trees and 200 other hectares of protected forests. Thanks to its dedication and savoir faire, it now exports to more than 20 countries.
Process
Natural: After removing the cherries that float, the good cherries are washed but the pulp is not removed from the beans, then the cherries are carefully transported to the sun-drying area.
Sun drying: 2 days pre-drying on ceramic floor, 10-15 days on raised African beds, temperature range 28°C to 40°C. Final mechanical drying in Guardiola, 1 day.
Stored in GrainPro bags for 6-8 weeks; kept in dry parchment form until shelled before export.
When replicating the recipe, there are different variables that can interfere in the final result of your cup, such as the roasting date, conservation of the beans, environment, water, state of the machinery, etc. It is important to keep in mind that all these factors can influence and you may have to make small adjustments when replicating this recipe.
Recipe
18 gr dry
39.5 gr in liquid
27 seconds
Machine: Marzocco micra
Mill: Eureka Atom
Number of Grinding: -0,5
Recommended mineral water: Lanjarón
TDS and extraction percentage: 9.73 / 22.48 %.
