Costa Rica
Costa Rica
The Las Lajas mill is well known for their unique and exotic honey and natural process coffees and their passion for coffee is evident in the care and expertise they impart in every lot of their coffee. The "honey process" doesn't involve actual honey from bees, but rather leaves a bit of the sticky, sweet inner part of the coffee fruit on the bean, and that subtle, fruity sweetness is revealed with the right roast.
DESCRIPTION
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TASTING NOTESMILK CHOCOLATE | SMOOTH | RICH
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PROCESSHONEY PROCESS
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REGIONAlajuela, Costa Rica
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VARIETALCATURRA | CATUI
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ALTITUDE1,300 - 1,600 METERS
The Las Lajas farm is nestled in the foothills of the Poas Volcano, located outside the town of Sabanilla in central Costa Rica. The owners of Las Lajas, Oscar and Francisca Chacón, are third-generation coffee farmers known for their highly differentiated processes that produce spectacular coffees. Most notable are their wild and juicy naturals along with their complex and rich honey-processed coffees.
Over the last ten years, the Chacón family has focused on balancing environmental impact with expressive cup profiles. The family farms continually in a state of reinvention for the processing of their coffee cherries. Frequently a source of coffee in barista competitions and the Cup of Excellence, Las Lajas is renowned for its natural and honey processing methods, which are processes that greatly reduce water consumption but also require precisely executed drying protocols.
Customer Review
Coffee to Water Ratio
Using the correct amount of coffee will ensure that your coffee is brewed to strength, without over-extracting or under-extracting the coffee to compensate for an inappropriate dose. We recommend 2 grams of coffee for every fluid ounce of water used to brew. Weighing coffee is the most accurate way to measure the appropriate dose. If a scale is not available, we recommend 2 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee for every 5 ounces of water used to brew.
Grind Size
Producing the correct particle size in ground coffee is one of the most important steps in coffee brewing. In general, a finer grind will produce a more intense brew and a coarser grind will produce a less intense brew. At the same time, a grind that is too fine will produce an over-extracted, astringent brew, and a grind that is too coarse will produce a weak, under-extracted brew lacking flavor. In pour-over methods, grind size also affects the rate of extraction, as water will pass more slowly through a finer grind, and more quickly through a coarser grind. We strongly recommend burr grinders over blade grinders.
Water Temperature and Quality
Water temperature dramatically affects the extraction of coffee’s flavor during brewing. We recommend brewing with water at 200-202° Fahrenheit for best results. Using fresh, clean, chlorine-free water is essential.
Coffee 101
Discover how to make the most in your cup with our brew blog - Coffee 101. Brewing variations, roast colors, coffee storage, steaming, and so much more. Not just for beginners, this info has gems for all coffee enthusiasts from novice to barista and beyond.