Rivense Special Fermentation (Ureña Family)

Justin and our cafe manager David visited the Ureña family earlier this year for the first time in hopes of forming meaningful and lasting relationships with coffee producers in Costa Rica. Regulo and his wife Isabella have four sons and one daughter: Ricardo, Mario, Esteban, Luis, and Tatiana. Coffee production is a family affair and every member has a role to play. Justin and David walked alongside the family as they worked, observing the health of their coffee plants and the quality of the coffee cherries, as well as their experimental processing methods and their unique drying techniques. Every step of the process was done with excellence.

David walked away from the trip with a depth of insight into the motivations behind this exceptional quality. He says, “One particular note of interest to me was the passion and enthusiasm the younger Ureñas had for continuing the family's agricultural legacy, dedicating their college education towards the advancement of the family business. They have set aside the pursuit of personal careers in their fields of study, for the goal of growing the business that their dad and grandfather envisioned. That zeal and sacrifice was on full-display in the four days spent alongside them. Witnessing their drive and commitment to excellence firsthand on their farms, was both inspiring and life changing! Grab a bag, drink a cup. It's not just supporting Carabello Coffee Co., it is saluting the hospitable, innovative, and exceptional work of the Ureña family at the Beneficio Café Rivense. Cheers!”

You will likely notice that the label on this bag does not give a specific varietal and neither does it give any details on the special fermentation process. The long and short of it is...we just don’t know. Traditionally, when collecting and processing lots like this, farmers combine several different varietals of coffee cherries from their farm. Sorting by variety is a fairly modern trend in the coffee industry and a lot of farmers still don’t practice this, so this lot is likely a combination of several varieties. As far as processing goes, this is a bit of a mystery. Regulo is somewhat of a maverick when it comes to processing his coffees. He doesn’t keep detailed records of everything he does along the way. Yet, despite the lack of details we have when it comes to the processing, we do know that the quality and flavor of this coffee is absolutely phenomenal. 

In the Cup: Jammy, Orange Liqueur, Chocolate, Baking Spice

Learn more about Regulo Ureña and his family.