Costa Rica - Don Eli Tomodachi Honey

This year, we purchased 3 different coffees from the Montero family’s farm, in Tarrazu, Costa Rica. The first of these is a special process Catuai done in collaboration with the producers, Tri-Up (the exporter), and Tetsu Kasuya, the 2016 World Brewer’s Cup Champion. “Tomodachi” means “friends” in Japanese, and this lot was meant to signify a collaborative effort between friends to produce a delicious cup. This catuai went through an anaerobic honey process. The end result is a clean and juicy cup with berries and orange notes dominating the flavour.

Carlos Montero has been producing high quality coffees for many years. He bought his first farm after saving up money from working in restaurants in the US. In 2014, Carlos set up his own mill that now produces great honey, washed, and natural coffees. Carlos’ son, Jacob, and daughter, Marianella, are also closely involved in work on the farm. The Montero family are big advocates of sustainability. They began this work by first purchasing fallow coffee farms that were abandoned, and allowing the soil and natural habitat of the land to regenerate before planting again. They then realised that the coffees grown in this manner were tastier and healthier than before. These efforts led to economic and social improvements for the communities around the Montero family and the workers who harvest coffees for them.