Costa Rica - Allan & Senel Campos
cup profile.
raspberry | plum | muscovado sugar
The cup is bursting with sweet red fruits developed by the natural processing of this Ethiopian variety. The complex acidity reminds us of red berries and stone fruit. The body is rich and coating with a clean and sweet finish like apple crumble and brown sugar.
about the producer.
We have been fortunate to work with father and son team Senel and Allan Campos since we first visited their farm Finca La Toboba in 2022. A 3rd generation farmer, Senel inherited the land from his father - Senel Sr. - who had received the farm from his mother.
In 2014 in response to poor commercial coffee prices Senel built his own wet mill to process the farm’s coffee. That first year Don Senel Micromill processed 300 kg of coffee from La Toboba fitting an old washing machine motor to a hand pulper. The first lot scored well and the next harvest Senel began processing coffee from the surrounding farms to be able to invest in new equipment and build out the mill’s drying areas. In the subsequent years Senel and Allan have purchased additional plots of land and planted many different coffee varieties.
The mill’s practices have evolved too from the more traditional practices utilized at first. Cherry ripeness and fermentation levels are measured and tracked in pH levels and brix degrees to control and influence the final cup profile of each microlot. Modernized equipment and tools have been introduced to support cutting edge fermentation and drying with sealed tanks, raised beds and greenhouse drying areas.
about the coffee.
We’re excited for the return of the first lot we ever featured from Senel and Allan back in 2022. PL122, often referred to as Etiope PL122, is an Ethiopian landrace variety that is cultivated in Costa Rica. This year’s lot is a meticulous natural process that highlights the variety’s fruit forward characteristics. This lot was grown at Finca El Cola Roja at 1800 metres elevation, ideal for developing the fruit qualities of this Ethiopian variety.
The ripe cherries go through an initial drying for three days on raised beds before being transferred to the covered drying patios. Here the cherries are rested in thicker layers for three days to create a fermentation that develops the sweet fruit notes in the cup. The cherries are then spread out in thin layers for a very slow drying over the next 3-4 weeks. This long slow drying on the covered patios avoids overfermentation.
