La Lajas Manor, the Black Soul planting area in Costa Rica

Finca Las Lajas Alma Negra

Costa Rican Black Soul

Country: Costa Rica

Producing area: central Valley

Altitude: 1300-1500m

Treatment: sun treatment

Grade: SHB

Variety: Kaddura, Kaduai

Production area introduction

Costa Rica, located in Central America, is the country where coffee was first introduced into Central America. It has a long history and has a complete coffee organization system from production to marketing.

Because it is located in the Central American Gorge, the volcanic soil is very fertile and the drainage is good, especially in the central plateau CentralPlateau, where coffee is grown for the fertile volcanic ash of the volcanic terrain, mild and suitable temperature, and stable and abundant rainfall, coffee has become one of the factors of major agricultural products.

* Central Valley

1200-1600 meters above sea level, the production season from November to March, this production area has three sub-production areas, they are San Jose, Eredia, Alajuela.

There are three high-altitude volcanoes in the producing area: Irazu, Barva and Poas, which provide rich nutrients for the surrounding coffee producing areas. The excellent micro-climate and the two volcanic fertile soils of Po á s and Barva make the beans in this area have superior characteristics, such as chocolate cocoa flavor, bright acidity and elegant aroma.

The Central Valley is also the first area to grow coffee in Costa Rica, and then to other regions to develop the country's coffee industry, moderate rainfall, an average annual temperature of 19 ℃, coupled with high altitude, so the bean hard aroma, smooth, high acidity, full-bodied, rich aroma, coffee in this area is the earliest coffee growing area in Costa Rica, rich in volcanic soil, sometimes with chocolate flavor. The front section is washed and the back section is dried by machine at low temperature.

Introduction to the manor

Among the exquisite sun and honey treatments currently popular in Costa Rica, La Lajas Manor is one of the first estates to begin systematic research and processing, and has been a favorite coffee plantation for global buyers for many years.

The estate, currently run by third-generation owner Francisca Cubillo and his wife Oscar, is located in the Central Valley region (Central Valley), not far from the capital, quite close to the Poas Volcano volcano, with an annual output of about 55200 kilograms at an altitude of 1,250 Mustok, 1,500 meters.

Many years ago, Francesca, the owner of the manor, had been hoping to improve the flavor of the coffee in the manor. at that time, the vast majority of coffee farmers in Costa Rica generally adopted the traditional washing method to meet the needs of the American and European markets. so the manor owner began to study and improve a lot of equipment in the manor to better meet the needs of sun and honey-treated coffee.

During the harvest stage, the landowner used the sweetness detector (BRIX) to screen the red fruits of coffee up to the standard, and set up his own washing treatment station for coffee treatment, and finally placed it on the African scaffolding for follow-up exposure.

In the coffee processed by La Lajas, the owner of the manor divides the honey-treated and sunburned coffee into many different items according to the expression of flavor. Costa Rican farmers mostly use the peeling machine at the water washing station to control the amount of residual flesh, but the La Lajas estate decided to use a different way. In other words, the highest percentage of the pulp is retained but the exposure and turning time on the African scaffolding is controlled to show different coffee flavors. in the honey treatment, the manor divides the coffee into yellow honey, red honey and black honey.

At the same time, in the manor fertilization materials, the manor owner strictly requires that all processes should be planted and fertilized in accordance with organic standards, and the whole manor uses organic self-made compost. At the same time, the organic standard is extended to include soil quality, shade trees and washing plant procedures. After years of efforts, Ras Lajas Manor has passed the Japanese JAS, American USDA and NOP organic certification.

Flavor: it smells of fermented wine and almonds, with sour notes of plum, citrus and green apple on the palate, dark chocolate and nuts in the middle, and a hint of sucrose at the end; when the temperature drops, the entrance is sour and sweet like tropical fruit, sweet and creamy in the middle, with a hint of fruit tea in the finish.