From the highlands of Costa Rica’s West Valley comes La Carreta Azul, a farm nestled between 1300 to 1450 meters above sea level, where volcanic soil, steady rainfall, and cool temperatures form a near-perfect environment for coffee cultivation. This lot is a blend of Caturra and Catuai varieties, known for their balance and clarity when grown at altitude.
What sets this coffee apart is its Red Honey processing. After selective handpicking, the outer skin of each coffee cherry is removed, but about half of the sticky fruit layer, called mucilage, is intentionally left on. This mucilage is rich in natural sugars and organic acids.
Rather than sun-drying the beans quickly, they are carefully dried under shade or partial cover over a longer period. This extended drying phase allows the sugars in the mucilage to slowly penetrate into the bean, building layers of complexity and giving the coffee its signature honey-like depth and body. Red Honey sits between Yellow and Black Honey processes, offering structure without overwhelming density and sweetness without heaviness.
The beans are processed at FJO Patalillo, a wet mill located in the historic coffee town of Patalillo, Tres Rios, an area rooted in coffee since 1888. Established in 2018, FJO combines artisanal Costa Rican tradition with modern controls, allowing producers to maintain full traceability and quality oversight from farm to export.
