Tasting notesBlack Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Mandarin FarmerDiego Robelo FarmAquiares Estate RegionTurrialba CountryCosta Rica Variety Mariana Process Anaerobic Natural Altitude1200 masl This is one of a pair of coffees we are releasing simultaneously from the Aquiares estate in central Costa Rica. The Aquiares Estate is the biggest coffee farm in Costa Rica. Often referred to as the 'Aquiares Estate and community', it is home to 1800 people. It was founded by Alfonso Robelo, a politician, who fled from Nicaragua when war broke out as politics soured in the 1980s. He transformed the way the farm ran, giving the workers a chance to buy their homes and be proud with the coffee they produced. Once picked and sorted, this coffee is washed in fresh water before being put in stainless steel tanks with a one way air valve. The natural microorganisms and yeasts get to work fast using up the oxygen making an anaerobic environment. After 24 hours the coffee is removed and washed again before being dried. This coffee is like a tropical, Black Forest gateau! Black cherry and dark chocolate notes at the fore are supported with a mandarin note, which in turn supports flavours of tropical fruit and cranberry. This coffee is dessert in a mug! Art by Miriam S Aspden