Costa Rica
Tarrazú
Alfonso Solis Porras
El Cedral
Red Catuai
Red Honey
February–March
Brown Sugar, Caramel, Peach, Clementine
2000 meters
N/A
69 kg w/ GrainPro
USA - Charleston, SC - RPM
La Toboba Micromill is located in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica and is operated by Alfonso Solis Porras and the Solis Ureña family. The family has a tradition in coffee production stretching back more than 70 years. Each generation of the family has worked to build on the knowledge and techniques passed on to them in order to achieve even higher quality each harvest.
This lot of Catuai Red Honey coffee was grown at the family’s El Cedral farm. El Cedral is located 2000 meters above sea level and is surrounded by the Los Santos Forest Reserve, providing ideal growing conditions for the coffee trees cultivated there.
Alfonso and the family prioritize both quality and sustainability in their work, informing their practices at the farm and mill. Processing is completed with the least amount of water possible and all coffees are fully sun dried. Each step of production is monitored closely, as they recognize that each step plays an important role in the quality of the final product.
This lot of Catuai underwent Red Honey processing at La Toboba Micromill. Pulped coffee was dried on raised beds for 18–20 days.
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.
