The Dota Valley sits in the heartland of what many people regard to be the the finest coffee growing region of Costa Rica, Tarrazu. Here the coffee grows in high altitudes on steep slopes in dense vegetation and the cherries mature a little slower than in lower altitudes. This slower development in cool mountain nights enhances acidity and cup characteristics making for stellar coffee when processed correctly. Santa Maria de Dota is the main town in valley and is home to a number of award winning farms as well as several of the new innovative micro-mills that have sprung up in Costa Rica in recent years.
The unusually named FARAMI (an acronym of the family names Fallas and Ramírez) is one of these innovative micro mills and the coffee has fast developed an excellent reputation since the original trees were planted in the early 1980s. Much of FARAMI's reputation comes from high quality honey processing. This method of coffee processing is complicated and we covered a little on the variations in a blog post from Costa Rica last year. This selection is a red honey where all of the mucilage is retained. Beyond the basic principles farmers then have subtle variations in how to naturally enhance certain taste and flavour characteristics by controlling the the environment the coffee dries in - all of which requires a high level of farmer sophistication to succeed. This red honey from FARAMI shows a deft farmers touch in the way the coffee has been crafted.
In terms of the cup profile the honey processing has muted the intensity of acids when compared to the washed process coffee we sell from Tarrazu, but the underlying quality and complexity of this acidity is retained, especially the malic apple like acidity. This works very well with the flavour profile which is rich in sweet fruit and sugar like aromas. We find brown sugar, redcurrant, raisin, a little rhubarb, and of course honey come through across different brew methods. A dense, rolling, silky and syrup like mouthfeel keeps the indulgent mood going and this is most noticeable when brewed as an espresso or French Press.
The unusually named FARAMI (an acronym of the family names Fallas and Ramírez) is one of these innovative micro mills and the coffee has fast developed an excellent reputation since the original trees were planted in the early 1980s. Much of FARAMI's reputation comes from high quality honey processing. This method of coffee processing is complicated and we covered a little on the variations in a blog post from Costa Rica last year. This selection is a red honey where all of the mucilage is retained. Beyond the basic principles farmers then have subtle variations in how to naturally enhance certain taste and flavour characteristics by controlling the the environment the coffee dries in - all of which requires a high level of farmer sophistication to succeed. This red honey from FARAMI shows a deft farmers touch in the way the coffee has been crafted.
In terms of the cup profile the honey processing has muted the intensity of acids when compared to the washed process coffee we sell from Tarrazu, but the underlying quality and complexity of this acidity is retained, especially the malic apple like acidity. This works very well with the flavour profile which is rich in sweet fruit and sugar like aromas. We find brown sugar, redcurrant, raisin, a little rhubarb, and of course honey come through across different brew methods. A dense, rolling, silky and syrup like mouthfeel keeps the indulgent mood going and this is most noticeable when brewed as an espresso or French Press.
Altitude: 1750 asl
Farm/Coop: FARAMI
Great for: Aeropress, Cafetiere, Filter
Origin: Central America/Costa Rica - Region: Santa Maria de Dota, Tarrazú
Owner: Juan Luis Fallas Mata
Process Method: Pulped Natural (semi-washed) - Red Honey
Varietals: Typica