Costa Rica - Lica Torres
about the producer.
Don Lica and his family began building their wet mill Cerro Buena Vista in 2015. Selling cherries to local mills had become financially unsustainable and neighbours in the small region of Pérez Zeledón in Brunca in the south of Costa Rica were also achieving promising results processing their own coffee. One such neighbour is Jhon Alvarado Abarca - one of the first producers that nemesis visited on our travels.
Costa Rica’s micromill revolution inspired coffee producers the world over to build their own processing and drying facilities. While the impact on coffee quality and flavour profiles has been incredible, the risk and hard work that producers assume to build these facilities should not be overlooked. The Torres family’s bold decision to build Cerro Buena Vista took their coffee journey to new heights and solidified the identity of their estate coffees.
Over the past ten years, Don Lica and his family have been refining and experimenting with their processing and drying techniques. At the same time they have been planting the world’s most sought after varieties at their three farms - Los Piños, La Fila, and La Toboba - and are now producing some of the best coffees in Costa Rica.
The small region of Brunca now regularly features in the upper echelon of Costa Rica’s Cup of Excellence competition and perhaps what is most exciting is that producers in these areas continue to experiment and share their successes with each other. The next generation is also getting involved and becoming passionate about pushing the boundaries of coffee quality. This is the first year that we are working with Don Lica Torres and we are featuring three unique lots, one from each of Don Lica’s farms, all processed at the family micromill Cerro Buena Vista.
about the coffee.
This house espresso comes to us from Lica Torres and his family mill Cerro Buena Vista. Many of Don Lica’s lots are experimental processes that produce wild flavour profiles - this washed Catuaí on the other hand showcases the exceptionally sweet and balanced qualities of the terroir.
This lot was grown at Lica Torres’ farm La Fila at 1600 metres above sea level. Catuaí is a variety from the Typica-Bourbon family, originally developed in Brazil by cross-breeding Mundo Novo - a Typica-Bourbon hybrid - and Caturra - a naturally occurring compact Bourbon mutation. The result is a smaller plant that can be planted more densely and results in higher crop yields for the producer.
Ripe cherries are hand harvested, pulped, and fermented for 12 hours before being fully washed and laid on raised beds for drying. After 8 days on the raised beds where the coffee dries evenly due to increased air flow, the parchment is laid on patios for the final 3 days until it reaches 10% moisture content.
cup profile.
cherry | milk chocolate | hazelnut
This clean washed process from Lica Torres showcases the sweet stone fruit and chocolate sweetness of Costa Rica. The espresso profile targets a medium high weight with a creamy texture. Ripe cherry and milk chocolate leads to a dark chocolate and hazelnut finish - ideal black or in milk.
