Cristian Salazar - Los Cipreses
Los Cipreses is located in Naranjo, in the West Valley of Costa Rica. The farm has been in the Salazar family for four generations and for all that time the Salazar Family sold their coffee to local cooperatives. Then in 2018 as the C-market plummeted towards $1/lb they began to rethink their strategy. This exploration led them to partner with 100LIBRAS and focus on the international specialty coffee market.
The Nemesis team first tasted Los Cipreses coffees on a blind cupping table during one of our early trips to Costa Rica and visiting our exporting partners 100LIBRAS. Immediately we were blown away by the quality and clarity of Cristian’s lots and knew we wanted to work together. This is the 3rd year that we are featuring the Salazar SL28 and Milenio lots and they are better than ever. Cristian manages his own micro mill for the farm, which has added even more control over the processing and resulting cup quality.
ABOUT THE COFFEE
SL28 is a relative of the Bourbon varietal developed in Scott Laboratories in Kenya in the 1930s. In the past 90 years SL28 has become one of the most highly regarded coffee varieties, known for high cup quality that is both fruit forward and sweet. SL28 has now spread beyond Kenya to many coffee growing countries and is often produced as part of a farm’s high end offering.
Cristian Salazar planted this SL28 at 1650 metres above sea level. The cherries are picked at peak ripeness and undergo a primary aerobic fermentation for 48-hours before being pulped to remove the seed from the fruit. The mucilage is left on the parchment for drying creating a juicy and sweet profile that highlights the intense fruit qualities of this coffee.
This lot is the result of years of experimentation and refining every detail to produce an elegant and extraordinary coffee.
CUP TASTING NOTES
BLACKBERRY | VIOLET | PLUM JAM
CUP PROFILE
Incredible aromas of violet and ripe berries on the nose showcase this coffee’s intensity and clarity. We brew this coffee at a lighter strength to highlight the cup’s complexity. Dominant blackberry and purple florals give way to sweet plum jam, vanilla and citrus. The finish is long and clean with sustained acidity and sweetness showcasing the masterful processing, drying and sorting of this lot.
MILENIO - also called H10 - is a first generation hybrid developed for rust resistance and high cup quality. It is a cross between the parent Sarchimor (arabica x robusta) and an Ethiopian landrace Rume Sudan. The result is a high yielding plant well suited to agro-forestry and with a complex and delicate profile.
Cristian’s Milenio undergoes the same experimental semi-washed processing as the SL28 lot, 48 hours of anaerobic fermentation prior to depulping followed by a slow and controlled drying process with the fruit mucilage left on the parchment. The result is an incredibly sweet profile with complex acidity.
CUP TASTING NOTES
MANDARIN | MILK CHOCOLATE | HIBISCUS
CUP PROFILE
The crisp orange citrus acidity and round milk chocolate sweetness dominate the first sips. The mouthfeel is even and coating creating a very pleasant and satisfying experience followed with a crisp and juicy hibiscus acidity that lingers through the finish.
