Costa Rica
Tarrazú
Stephanny Fernández Elizondo
Los Encinos
Catuai
Red Honey
2024 - 2025
Brown Sugar, Cacao Nibs, Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange, Red Apple, Vanilla
1850 meters
N/A
69 kg w/ GrainPro
UK - Bury St Edmunds - Vollers
Cafe Ceres micromill was established in 2019 by Stephanny Fernandez Elizondo and her mother, Alexandra, in Santa Maria de Dota in San José province. The pair have worked together over the years to prepare for this endeavor, aiming to achieve healthy and constant growth and to improve their quality each day. The facility is outfitted with a pulper, greenhouse drying spaces with raised beds, a waste treatment area, and a warehouse for coffee storage.
Along with quality, Stephanny and her mother’s work prioritizes sustainability in everything they do, and the micromill is currently working toward earning Bandera Azul ecological certification. Within the farm, they also regularly carry out training and courses through the Ministry for Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the National Coffee Institute (ICAFE) in order to learn about environmental issues and how to best take care of their crops.
This lot of Catuai coffee underwent Red Honey processing at Cafe Ceres micromill. After harvest, coffee cherries were sorted via floatation to remove any underripe or overripe fruit. The cherries were placed into plastic bags and fermented for 72 hours prior to being pulped. The pulped coffee was then fermented in plastic bags for another 48 hours before being dried. The fermented coffee was dried on raised beds for 14 days while being moved every two hours to ensure uniform drying.
Tarrazú is a canton located in the province of San José, in Costa Rica’s Central Valley. It forms part of the renowned Zona de Los Santos, along with the neighboring cantons of Dota and León Cortés. Nestled in the high mountains south of the capital city, Tarrazú is one of the most densely planted high-altitude coffee regions in Central America, with many farms located at or above 2,000 meters above sea level.
Locally, the area is known as Zona de Los Santos, a name inspired by the many towns beginning with “San” or “Santa.” Tarrazú’s climate features two distinct seasons: a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April. These conditions create the perfect environment for uniform coffee flowering and ripening. The region receives an average of 2,400 mm of rainfall annually and maintains a mild average temperature of 19°C (66.2°F).
The region’s volcanic soils and steep, rolling hillsides are ideal for agriculture. Many smallholder farmers grow coffee alongside bananas, avocados, and citrus—often on land passed down through generations. A strong sense of family and community defines life in Tarrazú, where producers care deeply for their land, preserve native forests, incorporate shade trees, and protect the natural springs that flow from the mountains.
If you want to learn more about the new division of Costa Rica’s coffee regions, check out our Instagram post.
