After a Spring and Summer of clean and vibrant washed coffees it’s a nice change to welcome in a new wave of natural process coffees from Costa Rica. Costa Rican coffees are known for their high elevation, but more notably, the different styles of processing they use to showcase their coffees. While we tend to see various types of honey processed coffees, naturally processed coffees are slowly starting to dominate the conversation.

This coffee hails from the Don Mayo micromil in Tarrazu that is renowned for its quality coffees that have placed very high in the Cup of Excellence including 1st place in 2009 and 2020. Don Mayo’s micromill processes several different coffee varieties, with Catuai making up the large majority. The coffee cherries are picked then briefly washed before fermentation in sealed tanks for 36 hours. After this they are sent to the mill’s slow drying area for eight days. The drying process is finished on patios in the sun for at least 10 days.

This complex drying process results in a cup that is distinctly fruity with a complex layer of spice notes on the finish. This coffee packs a ton of fruit character that really shines on a pourover, but has a mellow enough acidity to make a well-balanced french press. In the cup we’re experiencing dried cranberry, grape candy, and a long lasting finish of mulling spices.