We're excited to kick off the new year with this elegant, fruity lot available in limited quantities.

Costa Rica, though small in size, boasts a remarkable diversity of climates, which has fostered a rich and varied coffee industry. Los Cipreses, encompassing two farms and a mill, is situated in the West Valley, where the drier climate influenced by Pacific weather patterns produces a distinct coffee profile compared to the Central Valley. Managed by Max Salazar alongside his two cousins and uncle Danilo, the farms—San Cristobal (10 hectares) and La Isabella (13 hectares), named after Max’s parents—operate under the family business named after cypresses grown on a partner farm, which are sold as Christmas trees in December.

The farms’ unique layout creates multiple microclimates, necessitating meticulous management to adapt processes to each slope and orientation. Strong winds are common in the area, and the devastating 2015 Hurricane Nate highlighted the need for innovative solutions to protect coffee plants.

Until 2019, the family delivered their coffee cherries to a neighboring mill. In 2020, they decided to process part of their harvest themselves, predominantly as honey-processed coffee. They established a small mill and a greenhouse, with the processing facility and the lowest part of the farm located at 1,680 meters above sea level. During harvest season, they hire an additional 30 pickers.

Since 2017, climate challenges have drastically reduced production, particularly impacting middle-harvest volumes, which are essential for high-quality coffee. This scarcity has contributed to a rise in specialty coffee prices from Costa Rica.

Despite facing crop diseases and pests, Max avoids using chemical sprays, relying instead on natural methods like robust fertilization plans and resistant coffee varieties. Herbicides are also avoided, with weeds controlled through mulching.

After pulping, honey lots are bagged for a few hours before being transferred to raised African beds. Yellow honeys are turned hourly, while darker honeys are turned less frequently, requiring 12 days to dry.

Each year, Max crafts a unique coffee called "Special Black Honey." To enhance its flavors, he incorporates "juice" extracted from a natural lot processed just prior to the honey. During the natural processing, cherries are placed in a bag and hung, allowing the juice released during drying to drip into a container. This collected juice is then added to the freshly semi-pulped honey coffee, intensifying its flavor profile. This innovative method not only enhances the coffee's complexity but also repurposes byproducts that would otherwise be discarded.

In the cup: wild strawberry, red apple, floral hints, lingering candy-like sweetness.

Minimum resting period: 5 days for filter roast, 10 for espresso roast.