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Costa Rica

Altos SL28

Altos SL28

Our tenth year working with Mauricio Vindas, with this crisp and fresh washed SL28

$26.00 USD
$26.00 USD
Size

About

Coffee Expression The distinct bright fruit character of the SL28 shines here, with notes of red berries and caramel in the cup.

Producer This is our tenth year purchasing coffee from Mauricio Vindas in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica.

RRP for 250g / 1kg: $26 / $99

Brewing Advice

Water is one of the most critical components of an excellent coffee experience. We recommend using mineral water of a soft Total Dissolved Solids count, ideally below 150 ppm. 

Rested coffee During the resting process, harsh and astringent flavors, which can even be perceived as a ‘roast’ character, soften out, allowing a clearer and brighter expression of the coffee’s character to shine.  

We recommend resting our coffees for at least 10 days after the roast date, and we often find excellent results, especially for particularly dense coffees, beyond 6 weeks.

Brewing Our straightforward approach to coffee carries over into brewing. We recommend our roasted coffee for all brew methods, regardless of whether it is immersion, percolation or espresso. We believe that there is one correct way to roast a single coffee, roasting lightly, in such a way as to release its innate qualities and showcase its quality. Learn more about different brewing techniques and specific brew guides here.

Technical Data

Producer  Mauricio Vindas

Region Tarrazu

Altitude 1800 masl

Varietal  SL28

Process Washed

Harvest February 2024

Taste Expression Fruity & Balanced

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Altos

Altos del Abejonal sits at 1800 metres above sea level in the Tarrazu region, only 70 kilometres south of the Costa Rican capital San Jose. The Talamanca Sierra runs through the region, with peaks of above 3000 masl. The farm is also close to the regional capital of San Marcos, which sits at 1350 masl and is home to 9000 people, providing the hub to an area famous for its high quality coffee production. The volcanic soil and afternoon cloud cover in the region provides the perfect conditions for Mauricio to produce excellent coffees at Altos.

Honey processing is popular in Costa Rica as an alternative to washed processing, providing a cleaner cup with more acidic notes than a natural coffee, but with a much lower water usage than traditional washed processing. At Altos, the ripe cherries are first run through Mauricio’s Penagos Eco-Pulper, which reduces water and electricity usage at his micro-mill. Mauricio accomplishes his ‘washed’ process by removing all of the mucilage from the seeds mechanically, before they are laid out on drying beds to dry slowly for around 14 days.

Process

The SL28 varietal was selected in the 1930’s by researchers at Scott Agricultural Laboratories in Kenya, and has been associated with Kenya and the surrounding East African countries since. The associated bright fruit profile has been a major contribution in establishing Kenya as one of the most renowned origins in speciality coffee circles. This means the varietal has become sought after in other countries, such as in Costa Rica.

Mauricio’s plot of SL28 is still rather young, so has only produced this small lot this year, exclusively for our US roastery. This lot has a bright and fruit-driven character of raspberry and cranberry, balanced by a caramel sweetness.

Mauricio

We first met Mauricio by chance. In March 2014 we were in Tarrazu, travelling around farms as guests of Exclusive Coffees, an exporter based in the region. After the last farm visit, our driver had to make a quick errand to see a friend, whose son had broken his hip and couldn’t leave home. The driver dropped off a gift for the boy, while we made conversation with his father. He was also a coffee farmer, and told us stories of his passion for coffee production and of how his son wanted to become a barista. We visited Altos again the next day, and bought our first couple of bags.

2024 is our tenth year buying coffees from Mauricio. In 2023, we visited Exclusive’s cupping lab in San José, cupping through Altos day lots together with Mauricio Jr., who’s now a qualified cupper, and takes responsibility for processing at the farm. This year, Junior was able to make the return trip to visit us in Copenhagen, touring our roastery and coffee shop in the city.

The hard work and dedication shown by Mauricio and Mauricio Jr. at every stage of coffee production is obvious in the cup, and we are proud to showcase their work to so many of those who truly appreciate it.