About This Coffee
Owner Rodolfo Valverde purchased Finca Arecas three years ago, fulfilling a lifelong dream. In his youth, he spent his summers picking coffee in order to earn enough money to buy his school uniforms. Coming from a humble background, he was motivated to build a better life for his family and the coffee farm was a culmination of that dream. Rodolfo has a special connection to coffee and says that “coffee has given me everything.” In a tough climate where many coffee farmers struggle to remain solvent, Rodolfo has had immense success and has made sure to give back to his community.
Like many famers in Costa Rica, Rodolfo works closely with a regional ‘micromill’ for the primary processing of his coffee (see below for more information on the history of micromills). Established in 2015, Palmichal Micromill partners with specialty coffee producers across the Palmichal, Puriscal, Tarrazú and Frailes micro-regions of Costa Rica. The mill helps smallholder farmers unlock the full potential of their coffees through meticulous processing while ensuring complete economic and physical traceability from farm to roaster.
This Natural lot beautifully reflects the origin's unique terroir, microclimate and the craftsmanship of its producers. Expect a sweet, juicy cup with vibrant fruit notes, rich dark chocolate and a lingering brown sugar sweetness.
Cultivation
Nestled in Palmichal de Acosta, between Costa Rica's Central Valley and Tarrazú, Finca Arecas benefits from exceptional growing conditions. Coffee is shaded by native shade trees and nourished by the waters of the Tabarcia River.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Ripe cherries are selectively handpicked and delivered to Palmichal micromill. Upon arrival, they are floated in water tanks to remove defects, with only dense, ripe cherries accepted for processing. The cherries are then fermented in tanks for 30 hours to enhance sweetness and fruit character. After fermentation, they are dried on patios for around 18 days, depending on the weather. During drying, the cherries are turned regularly and covered at night to protect them from moisture. Once they reach a moisture content of 10.5%, the dried cherries are rested in warehouses for approximately two months before being milled, sorted and bagged for export.
Micromills in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's micromill movement transformed the specialty coffee industry by giving producers greater control over quality, traceability and market access. Before the late 1990s, most farmers delivered coffee cherries to large cooperative or private mills, where coffees from many farms were processed and blended together. While efficient, this system made it difficult for exceptional producers to distinguish their coffees or capture the premiums they deserved.
Around the turn of the millennium, a handful of pioneering producers began establishing their own small-scale micromills. By processing coffee on their own farms, they could carefully manage every stage from harvest through drying, while preserving the identity of individual varieties and lots. The model emerged in response to both historically low coffee prices and growing demand from specialty roasters for traceable, high-quality coffees.
Micromills also became centres of innovation for the Costa Rica coffee sector. Producers experimented with processing methods, particularly honey processing, alongside traditional washed and natural coffees, helping establish the country as one of the world's leading origins for processing innovation. Today, the country is home to hundreds of micromills, many of which have built direct relationships with roasters and earned international recognition for exceptional quality.
The rise of micromills fundamentally changed the relationship between producers and the specialty coffee market. By taking ownership of processing, farmers gained greater control over quality, could experiment with processing methods and, importantly, market coffees under their own farm names. This shift helped create the traceability, transparency and distinct lot separation that have become hallmarks of Costa Rican specialty coffee today.
About Caturra
Caturra, a coffee variety known for its short, compact stature, is a natural mutation of Bourbon. It was first discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil around 1915. The variety is the result of the mutation in a single gene of the Bourbon variety that made the plant smaller but still high yielding. As it spread, Caturra enabled higher-density coffee cultivation.
As a direct descendant of Bourbon, Caturra is well known for delicate and complex flavors that are often floral and fruity. At the same time, its close relationship with Bourbon means Caturra is very susceptible to coffee leaf rust (CLR) and other common coffee diseases and pests. As a result, Caturra was later bred with CLR-resistant hybrids from Timor-Leste, producing the Catimor and its subsequent varieties.
About Catuai
Catuai is a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra that’s commonly cultivated across Central America and Brazil. Its dwarf size means that Catuai can be planted closely together to maximize yields. Catuai is available in both red and yellow varieties, but there is no discernable difference in taste between the two.
Catuai was first researched in the 1940s and was introduced to Brazil in 1972. It is now common across Brazil for its good quality cup. Catuai is also common in Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica, where it makes up significant portions of the total coffee produced. Catuai is known for having a fruity and complex taste profile that does well at high altitudes. The variety is highly susceptible to Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) and Coffee Berry Disease (CBD).
Coffee in Costa Rica
Thanks to tireless innovations, the sheer number of coffee varieties, extensive technical knowledge and attention to coffee production, Costa Rica is one of the most advanced coffee producing countries in Central America.
The climatic conditions in the country also play a role in the high quality of coffee produced. There are eight coffee regions: Guanacaste, West Valley, Turrialba, Valle Central (Central Valley), Tres Rios, Brunca, Orosi, and Tarrazú, a specific part of Valle Central.
Costa Rica has also become a world leader in traceability and sustainability in coffee production. Ninety percent of the country’s 50,000 coffee farmers are smallholders, and today, many deliver their cherry to boutique micro-mills that often process cherries according to producer specs to retain single-lot or single-farm qualities.
The rise of micro-mill processing, in itself, is a relatively recent development. Prior to the early 2000s it was common for smaller producers to deliver their cherry to cooperative-owned mills. As lucrative specialty markets developed, more and more farmers began establishing mills on their own farms, giving them increased control over processing and more assurance of the ‘traceability story’ so important to the growing market segment. Mills with excess capacity would then offer their services to neighboring farmers, offering a range of processing methods for small lots along with full traceability for roasters and importers. The system has enabled Costa Rica’s small to mid-sized coffee farmers to offer a wide range of differentiated products. Today, specialty lots from Costa Rica are almost as likely to bear the name of the micro-mill where they were processed as that of the producing farm.
The typically uncertain and dry weather patterns in Costa Rica make coffee farming more difficult. Long dry seasons and unpredictable weather patterns have virtually eliminated the possibility of organic farming. Nonetheless, both the government and farmers have taken active steps to protect the environment. Some of these restrictions also inform the processing methods for which Costa Rican coffee has become known.