June is an exciting month for us here at La Minita, with new arrivals landing every week from across Central America and especially from our own farms and mills in Costa Rica. So with that in mind, we’d like to use this month’s edition to talk about our namesake farm, Hacienda La Minita.
Beautiful views from a hike at La Minita
The new tiled roof above our fermentation tanks
Farm Spotlight: Hacienda La Minita
Located in Los Santos, Hacienda La Minita is our flagship farm and one of Costa Rica’s most famous coffee estates. We have been exporting coffee from La Minita since 1985, always striving to produce coffee of the highest quality while maintaining the highest standards of agricultural sustainability and community engagement.
This year was a difficult one at the farm. While we typically have dry weather during the harvest, this year we saw frequent heavy rains, which caused the harvest to be more difficult than ever, according to farm manager Lidier Mora Diaz. In addition to creating an environment that is friendly to fungal diseases like Roya and Antracnosis, heavy rain can also cause ripe cherries to fall off the coffee plant and onto the ground, where they are lost.
Despite these difficulties, we continued to complete new projects with the goal of improving the quality of our coffee. This year’s big project was adding a tiled roof over the fermentation tanks at our mill, Beneficio Rio Tarrazú. Previously, these tanks had been in full sun for most of the day. The addition of shade cools the temperature and slows down the fermentation, which we believe leads to more complexity in the cup.
Thanks to the hard work of the staff at La Minita and Beneficio Rio Tarrazú, we are proud to say that this year’s harvest from La Minita is fantastic, with the notes of cherry, orange, maple, and milk chocolate, and the complex, clean, balanced cup that this coffee is famous for. It is available now at CTI New Jersey and the Annex in California — if you’d like a sample, please reach out!
This Month in Costa Rica
The harvest is the reward for a year of labor on the farm, and as soon as it’s done, the work begins again to prepare for the next harvest. Pruning, weeding, new plantings, maintaining the roads — there’s always something to be done. This month, the staff at La Minita has been preparing a new round of coffee seedlings, which will be transplanted in May of next year.
In an average year, we transplant around 150,000 trees, all of which are grown in our nurseries from our own seed stock. Keeping these seedlings healthy during this vulnerable time requires lots of hard work and attention, but is a crucial step to ensure the health and longevity of the farm for years to come.
Coming Soon: New Crop Coffees From Kenya
Earlier this year, we visited Kenya to connect with producers and select lots from the new crop. The coffees we selected are on the way now, and there’s a great mixture of AA, AB, and Peaberry microlots to suit whatever your roastery’s needs may be. Contact your salesperson for pricing, cup notes, and prebooking info.
Recent Arrivals
COSTA RICA, HACIENDA LA PRADERA
Located in Los Santos, Hacienda La Pradera is a 181-hectare coffee farm that is owned and operated by La Minita. This coffee has a bright, sweet profile that has become a favorite of our team’s.
Availability: CTI NJ, Annex CA
Certifications: Rainforest Alliance
Cupping notes: Orange, cherry, brown sugar, bright
COSTA RICA, HACIENDA LA MINITA
We mentioned it above, but it’s worth saying again: the new crop from Hacienda La Minita is available now! We’re always excited to share this coffee with our customers, and this year is no exception.
Availability: CTI NJ, Annex CA
Certifications: Rainforest Alliance
Cupping notes: Cherry, orange, maple, milk chocolate
WAREHOUSE CLOSURES FOR THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY:
Cadeco Houston: Closed 7/4, early closure 7/5
Costa Oro: Closed 7/4 and 7/5
The Green Room: Closed 7/4 and 7/5
Annex: Closed 7/4 and 7/5
CTI NJ: Closed 7/4 and 7/5
Dupuy Houston: Closed 7/4
That’s all for this month’s edition. Thanks for reading, and as always, if there’s anything we can do for you, reach out to your salesperson or fill out our contact form and we’ll get right back to you. See you next month!