Las Lajas

As the last production for 2023 we have chosen Las Lajas, which is super interesting coffee. We had four different coffees to choose from 19grams Coffee Roasters, and Las Lajas got our attention right away. Clean as it can be, fruit and marmalade in the cup and still nice acidity. What makes this coffee interesting is the combination of origin and varieye: this coffee is originally a famous Kenyan variety SL28, but it has been produced, surprise surprise: in Costa Rica! And like that was not enough, normally you would enjoy SL28 as washed coffee, but this one is Black Diamond Natural -processed.

Farm: Las Lajas
Farmer: Oscar and Francisca Chacón
Location: Sosta Rica, Poas, Central Valley
Altitude: 1500m
Varietal: SL28
Process: Black Diamond Natural

The ”Las Lajas” farm of Doña Francisca and Don Oscar Chacón was the first certified organic coffee farm in Costa Rica in 2000.  When the two took over the plantation from Oscar Chacón’s father in the early 1990s, they decided to run the cultivation completely organically and sustainably. In this way, the couple combined traditional coffee craftsmanship with innovative novelties that led them away from classic fertilisation and cultivation methods.

The Chacóns are among the first coffee producers in Central America to be known for processing honey and natural coffees and have won several awards. They are the pioneers in Costa Rica when it comes to perfecting various Honey processing and Dried Natural methods. Their coffees are among the best in the country and convince harvest after harvest with the highest quality.

”Our SL28 is pure natural, which means that after harvesting, the fully ripe coffee cherries are spread out on the patio of Finca Las Lajas to dry, together with the pulp surrounding them. In this way, the coffee beans absorb the full aroma of the fruit in the form of the fructose present during the drying process. This type of processing is the perfect complement to the already inherent qualities of the SL28 variety, which originated in Kenya and is a hybrid of the Bourbon plant and the Ethiopian Heirloom. Due to the interplay of fruity-sour and sweet aromas and a very well-balanced body, the SL28 is considered one of the noblest coffee varieties.”
– 19grams Coffee Roasters

An SL28 lot we have been eagerly waiting for: the flavour profile is dominated by boozy notes accentuated by fermentation: We taste intesive sweetness, tropical acids with a loud – i.e. very complex – mouthfeel. The aftertaste is also boozy with exotic fruits. And if you like light exotic espressos, this one is a must to try!

Expect notes of: Passion fruit, mango, raspberry jam

Let us know what you think of this month’s Rare coffee on social media by tagging us #slurprare @slurpkahvi