La Hilda FW SHB

La Hilda Estate was acquired in 1956 by the Kahle family, who spent over four decades strengthening its agricultural production. In 1988, ownership changed to the Vargas Ruiz family, who transformed it into a coffee-focused estate centered on sustainable and regenerative practices.  

La Hilda partners with the University of Costa Rica and other institutions to advance research on carbon fluxes, regenerative agriculture and bio-inputs. In an effort to support the well-being of 380 partnered farming families, the estate also provides a daycare for farmers’ children and a medical clinic during harvest seasons. 

Cultivated and processed with a strong focus on quality, this Fully washed coffee offers dark chocolate note and a delicate acidity.  

Located at the foot of the Poas Volcano, La Hilda benefits from fertile volcanic soils and a year-round cool temperature. These factors create an optimal condition, resulting in sweet, dense beans with a distinctive flavor profile.  

The coffee is graded Strictly Hard Bean (SHB), which specifies the altitude at which it is grown. Coffee must be grown at 1,200 meters above sea level or higher to be considered SHB. The higher altitude and lower temperatures mean that the coffee fruit matures more slowly, resulting in a more complex profile.

Ripe cherries are hand-picked and delivered to La Hilda Estate, where they are carefully sorted at intake to ensure quality. The selected cherries are pulped and washed to remove the mucilage. Parchment is then moved to dry on raised beds. Throughout this process, the parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. Once the drying stage is finished, dried parchment is bagged, stored and ready for export.  

Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) specifies the altitude at which the coffee was grown. A coffee must be grown at 1,200 meters above sea level or higher to be considered SHB. The higher altitude and lower temperatures mean that the coffee fruit matures more slowly, creating a denser bean. 

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).  

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.