Location
The operations of Cordillera de Fuego are based in the Alajuela Provinz in the renowned West Valley of Costa Rica. At their state-of-the-art micro mill, they have an automated oven which they use to dry the coffees to the desired level of humidity. The eco-friendly drying facilities convert 95% of the burned biomass to heat and have a second combustion chamber to reduce emissions. 90% of the biomass stems from coffee husk or parchment. Solar panels are powering the plant and the other facilities at the mill. At the plantation, shade trees are covering the plants to lower the average temperature and reduce the need for fertilizers.
About
Cordillera de Fuego is a modern coffee business run by two coffee experts: José Francisco Fernández Arias and Luis Eduardo Campos Varela. Combined, they have more than 30 years of experience in the coffee industry and they are still striving for innovation.
Besides increasing productivity, they are looking for new processes to improve the quality of their coffees and develop new profiles. The thermal shock is an extra process the coffee is undergoing to reduce the amount of the populations of undesirable microorganisms from cultivation. Therefore, only the mature ripe cherries are depulped and put under direct sun. After a certain amount, they are filled into stainless steel tanks which are hermetically sealed to control the oxygen level. The fermentation increases the C0² and lowers the oxygen, creating pressure on the beans. This controlled environment makes it easier to develop certain kinds of flavor profiles.
Photography: The Coffee Quest
Discover the aromas
These thermally controlled processed Caturra and Catuai cherries have a distinct lactic, berry-like acidity with a lot of lingering sweetness when it cools down.
It has an intense tropical fruit juiciness and is overall bright and clean: green mango, tamarind and dark chocolate notes are very present.