Costa Rican Tarrazu Coopedota Coffee

Fratello Coffee is introducing a new Costa Rican to our clients this February. We have done a lot of research to find this coffee and are very pleased with our results. After narrowing down from 30 original varities submitted from Costa Rica, we had decided to put the top 12 into a final round of cupping.

From the top 12 coffees, 6 were chosen and re-cupped to find our number 1 selection. After many hours of cupping, Fratello has chose to work with the Coopedota cooperative.

We gave this coffee a Cupping Score of 88.6 and found that this fully washed, high altitude coffee gave an extremely clean taste, with a creamy and toffee like body. What really stood out for me with the lingering bright and sparkling orange acidity. Will can also pick up a slight spicey (nutmeg) note in the aromas.

Dota CountyThe cooperative Coopedota is located in the zona de los Santos region. The birthplace of the coffee grower’s cooperative, Santa Maria, the head of the Dota County, is one of the most extensive counties in the country. The majority of the territory in Santa Maria is inadequate for agriculture and cattle ranches due to the immense mountains in the region.

At the end of the last century, the first pioneers in the zone marveled at the beautiful valleys in the area. They first settled in the San Marcos region, and soon after they followed the Parrita River, which lead them to discover a valley surrounded by high mountains, soon to be Santa Maria. The moderate climate was excellent for health, and soon word spread of the natural beauty of Santa Maria de Dota, thus attracting many people, that today despite the onslaught of the modernity, still maintains its customs that are passed on from generation to generation.Coopedota Today“Many traditional agricultural zones dedicated to coffee production also poduce various other crops. But in Santa Maria, we are 100% dedicated to producing only coffee. Since the birth of Santa Maria, over 100 year ago, the people began to plant coffee, and over the years we have perfected the art of planting, harvesting the “grano de oro” (coffee bean of gold). Our coffee is known internationally as one of the best coffees in the world.”Recent Achievements:

• Won first place in the coffee tasting contests at the Association of Specialty Coffee (SCAA) in Miami.
• Paid the best wholesale prices of coffee for producers, during the last three years.
• Set a fixed, sustainable price of coffee in order to guarantee that the coffee farmers a sustainable income.
• Granted Free technical assistance and financial support for our producers all year long.
• Awarded Medal of Honor for their coffee as well as awarded the White Flag prize.

Turning in unripe coffee beans is one of the greatest problems that producers face today. That is to say, many times when coffee beans are harvested, many of the green, unripe beans are mixed with the red, rip beans. Moreover, it is not rare to find leaves, small branches, or other solids that make the quality of the coffee inadequate.Coopedota only pays producers that turn in coffee beans that are optimally ripe. They also have a certification process to insure that the beans meet certain standards of quality.