Costa Rica Don Joel Gloriana Kenya White Honey

Country:Costa Rica

Altitude:1500-1600m

Area:Alajuela, San Luis de Grecia (West Valley)

Variety:Kenya (SL28)

Farm Name:Don Joel Mill / Gloriana Farm

Processing:White Honey

Apricot, Orange, Lime

Specialty Coffee from Costa Rica

Currently, about half of Costa Rica's total coffee production is supplied to the market as specialty coffee. In 1992, a law mandated the cultivation of only Arabica varieties and prohibited the cultivation of Canephora varieties. At that time, cherry purchase prices and picker wages were not favorable. To overcome this situation, "micro-mills" emerged. The concept of families, relatives, or groups creating small-scale wet mills to consistently manage production from coffee cultivation to washing and drying, and selling high-quality coffee at higher prices, arose in the early 2000s. Honey process coffees, which were not available at large-scale mills until then, and anaerobic process coffees also began to be produced at these micro-mills, and gradually spread to consuming countries.

Don Joel Farm

The Don Joel Farm micro-mill was established in 2011. The name comes from the nickname "Joel" of Mr. Allan Oviedo's father, Juelio. The farm covers 10 hectares, and three years after the micro-mill's establishment, in the 14/15 crop, production exceeded 15 tons. This coffee's character is shaped by the unique climate of San Luis de Grecia in the West Valley, and farm owner Mr. Allan spares no effort in improving quality daily. Don Joel Farm is mainly run by Allan and his wife and son. During harvest season, the entire family works together. Don Joel Farm is passionately engaged in various initiatives to produce better quality coffee. They learn new processes, work with new varieties, strive for soil improvement and conservation, and provide excellent coffee to their clients. This Kenya variety was planted in 2014, and now, at eight years old, these trees are producing stable yields and, above all, coffee of excellent quality. Mr. Allan expresses his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for supporting Costa Rican coffee."

SL28 - San Roque Variety

SL28 is famous as a Kenyan variety, but its introduction to Central America's Costa Rica dates back to the early 21st century when Starbucks handed it over to producers in Costa Rica's West Valley. San Roque is a widely known common name in Costa Rica for a type of SL28. In 2015, the SL28 variety from Leoncio Farm won the COE, and it is now spreading across Central American countries as a high-end variety, second only to Geisha. Don Joel also submitted this Kenya variety to the 2022 Cup of Excellence and proudly won 15th place. As one of the leading producers utilizing the Kenya variety, he demonstrates masterful craftsmanship.