Grade: SHB Premium (Strictly High-Grown Beans)
Tasting Notes: Floral aromatics with notes of red fruit, brown sugar, and cocoa.
More Information about the Estate:
The rich volcanic soil, high altitudes, and optimal climate of the Tarrazu region serve the perfect conditions for cultivating this specialty coffee.
The farm was founded in the early 1930s by the Comancho family. The estate was named after the El Cipres tree on the property. The tree has become a symbol of this family and their thriving business.
When Don and Adelina Camacho first took possession of the farm, they raised cattle and began harvesting coffee. Decades later, Adelina passed down the lots to her son, Jesus, who has been running them ever since.
At first, the farm continued to be run just like his mother had taught him. But at the turn of the millennium, Jesus began implementing more modern, sustainable farming practices.
Jesus and his family have put a major focus on preserving the rich biodiversity of Tarrazu, which provides food and shelter to a wide variety of native birds and other animals.
This also ensures the land and soil are more fertile for their high-grade coffee.
More Information about the Red Honey Process:
The Red Honey Process is a special technique of naturally processing beans.
It’s a name for the process by which the outer layers of the coffee cherry are separated from the seed, revealing mucilage or “pulp”.
This mucilage resembles honey in texture and colour. Producers in Central America termed this “honey”, hence “the honey process”.
The Red Honey process involves removing the outer skin of the bean while leaving some of the inner mucilage intact. This mucilage is full of sugars that are absorbed by the coffee beans during the drying process.
The Finca El Cipres estate dries the mucilage-covered coffee beans for 4-5 days on raised African beds, then transfers them for the next drying phase on cement patios.
Constantly monitored and raked as they reach their optimal state, they are then pulped and processed to an optimal humidity level before being shipped to us.
This is a very labor-intensive process. Leaving the mucilage intact means longer drying times and the potential of spoiling the beans if not cared for or dried at the right pace.
When done properly, this method results in very unique and complex flavours for the beans. Red Honey coffee is often fruity, full-bodied, and with balanced acidity.