Hermosa is a Costa Rican classic from the world’s first carbon neutral certified coffee mill.

This coffee bursts out of the gate with cherry, pear, and lemon aromatics. As the coffee brews, the flavour deepens to a sweet medley of peach, honey, malt and toffee, balanced by a fine black tea note. 

Gentle red apple acidity is matched with a silky body, and the cup closes on an apricot and stonefruit finish. “Hermosa” means beautiful in Spanish, and we couldn’t have put it any better ourselves. A truly gorgeous coffee. 

COFFEE ORIGIN 

Coopedota – the coffee grower cooperative which produced the Costa Rica Hermosa – was originally founded in 1960 by 96 farmers spread throughout the Dota Valley. This close knit community has built their reputation internationally producing stellar coffees for generations. It was the ongoing pursuit of improvement which led Coopedota to become the first coffee cooperative in the world to be certified carbon neutral.

The 900-strong coop achieved this through a multi-pronged approach: coffee bean husks which would normally be deemed a waste product are used as fuel for the drying drums, pulp is converted to biogas, and running a community recycling program for household waste. 

Country: Costa Rica
Region: Tarrazu
Mill: Coopedota
Town: Santa Marta de Dota
Varietals: Caturra & Catuai
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1450 – 1900m above sea level.

TASTING NOTES & CUPPING PROFILE

Stonefruit notes are highly prized in coffee tasting, and for good reason. Few other flavours are so easy on the palate: nectar-sweet and soft-edged, and yet unmistakably fresh-tasting. Costa Rica Hermosa delivers peach and apricot in the main flavours and finish, complemented by the warmth of honey, malt, and toffee.

Black tea adds a little refinement, a counterbalance to the abundance of sweetness. Costa Rica Hermosa has a gentle red apple acidity, a clean crisp quality in harmony with the silky body of the coffee. Cherry, pear, and lemon aromatics add a little zing to the whole experience, adding an extra layer to anticipation to the ritual of brewing.

Aromas: cherry, pear, lemon
Flavours: peach, honey, malt, toffee, black tea
Acidity: red apple 
Body: silky 
Aftertaste: apricot, stone fruit  
Cupping Score: 85/100.

BREW GUIDE

Costa Ricans are coffee people, and most take their preferred cup brewed through a cloth pourover, known as a 'sock'. If you don’t have a coffee sock, a V60 or other pourover is fine, as long as you brew it with the trademark Costa Rican passion and joy.

The national catchphrase is “Pura Vida!” Literally translating to “pure life!” this phrase embodies the Costa Rican attitude of positivity, gratitude, and connection. Use it as a greeting, a sign of appreciation, or just a general expression that life is beautiful.

How to use your V60

Step 1: Fold the filter along the seam and fit it to the cone. 

Step 2: Rinse the filter paper and heat the glass by pouring hot water through the filter, into the glass. Discard the hot water, being careful not to lose the filter paper. Place the V60 on top of your glass. 

Step 3: Pour ground coffee into the V60. Your aim is to have the grounds sitting level in the filter cone. Give the V60 a soft shake if needed to settle the grounds. Add 15g of coffee (approx. three level tablespoons) of coffee to every cup you want to drink. 

Step 4: Gently pour hot water onto the coffee grounds. Using a circular motion, wind out from the centre until all of the grounds are saturated then stop pouring. Water should always be hot but not boiling, as boiling water will burn the coffee grounds. Aim for 92°c which should be the water temperature about 30 seconds after your kettle boils.

Step 5: You should notice a ‘bloom’- this is when the wet coffee puffs up into a golden-brown dome. Leave the coffee to bloom for 30 seconds. This bloom process helps gases escape the coffee. 

Step 6: Recommence pouring, using the same circular motion. Try not to pour directly down the sides of the filter. Pause to let the coffee come through. Don't let the water level rise too high.  Coffee will begin to filter through the glass in steady, consistent drops. Repeat the process of gently pouring, then wait.

Step 7: Stop once the colour of the coffee dripping from the cone has become pale, or you have enough brew for your taste. Remove the filter paper and Hario, and drink straight from your cup!