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About Costa Rica Etiope Honey

Arrived July 2026, new crop, vacuum packed by air to us. We offered a Natural version of this coffee last year and it was very popular. This year there were extremely small harvests throughout Costa Rica and there was no Natural to be had. Instead we were able to secure the same coffee in a Honey process which is quite delicious. We have only a tiny amount and cannot fill units larger than 10 pounds.

A unique opportunity to try an heirloom variety originating from Ethiopia but grown in Costa Rica. This is a new crop Direct Trade coffee has just arrived by air at our roasting plant.

Etiope variety:

'Etiope 47' is a variety that was developed in Ethiopia in a seed bank focused on rust resistant varieties. Coffee leaf rust is a disease that can attack the leaves of coffee trees, and over the past decade or two, caused a lot of crop damage. Therefore, efforts were made to develop varieties that were resistant to rust, while exhibiting positive flavor traits. After being successful in Ethiopia seeds were then brought to Costa Rica where they found an environment of roughly similar elevation. Producer Juan Ramon Alvarado began planting this variety starting 5 years ago; he is expanding its production now because of its excellent flavor profile, paired with it being a very resistant variety that is also very flavorful. The '47' comes from the number of genetic cross attempts it took to get to this final hybrid.

Juan Ramon named his farm after his father Don Jose. In honey processing, the cherry's outer skin is removed but the coffee fruit, its pulpy mucilage, dries on the coffee beans, still within their husks. Drying time can extend for weeks. Once it reaches the target moisture content, the coffee is milled down to the beans (seeds). Pulp, drying on the beans, imparts fruitiness to the coffee. The sweetness here is notable.

Country: Costa Rica
Region: Tarrazu
Producer: Juan Ramon Alvarado
Farm: Finca Don Jose
Varietal: Etiope 47
Elevation: 1950 meters
Processing: Honey

Etiope 47 (Ethiopia) variety, sun drying on raised beds

Ripe Etiope 47 coffee cherries right after harvesting

Cup Characteristics: A powerful coffee with spice notes. Flavors: lemon and lime citrus, honeydew, tamarind, black cherry and kiwi. A potpourri of exotic flavors and a treat for the senses, both aromatically and on the palate.

Roasting Notes: High grown, dense beans. Delicious throughout a fairly wide range of roast levels from City+ and into 2nd crack, depending upon your taste preference.