Costa Rica contributes less than 1% of the world’s coffee production, yet it has a strong reputation for producing relatively good quality coffee like this which is grown on a farm in Herbazu by Tono Barantez, located in the West Valley Region along the volcanic mountain range. This coffee has notes of red plum, black raspberry, and raw sugar with a syrupy body and only available in small quantities (only 25 sacks worldwide).

West Valley has a high percentage of Cup of Excellence winners and grows an abundance of both the Costa Rica–specific varieties Villa Sarchi and Villa Lobos, as well as some of the more “experimental” varieties such as SL-28 and Gesha. 

Costa Rica was the first Central American country to have a fully established coffee industry dated back from the 1700s. In recent years, coffee producers are increasingly interested in using variety selection as another way to stand out in the competitive market: SL-28 and Gesha are becoming more common, and local varieties like Villa Sarchi and Venesia.

This coffee comes from Sede Washing Station in Konga, which is in the kebele or village, of Sede, in the Yirgacheffe district. Konga is about 4 kilometers south of the town of Yirgacheffe. Konga is known for its strong citrus and supportive stone-fruit flavors of peach and apricot, and when is combined with dry processing, the result is dried cherry, cranberry, and lemonade-like acidity.

Aside from its near-legendary status as the “birthplace” of Arabica coffee, there is much to love about Ethiopia as a producing nation, including but not limited to the incredible diversity of flavor and character that exists among microregions, specifically within the southwestern Gedeo Zone of Yirgacheffe within the region of Sidama—areas whose names alone conjure thoughts of the finest coffees in the world. Coffee was literally made to thrive in the lush environment Yirgacheffe’s forests provide, developing nuanced floral characteristics, articulate sweetness, and sparkling acidity. However, coffee has also adapted to the more arid climate of Harrar, in the northeast of the country; The varieties planted there have historically had more chocolatey, rich undertones.

The Gondo factory is operated by the New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society (F.C.S.), which has 560 members. Coffee is picked and brought to the factory that same day for selection and separation, as sorting happens before depulping begins. The ripe cherry is processed using fresh water from the local Kananahu stream, and the coffee is dried under the full sun.

The New Kiriti F.C.S. has an executive committee of seven elected members and three supervisory-committee members who oversee the management committee and reports to the farmers in an annual meeting. The society has a workforce of 19 permanent staff and about 25 seasonal workers.