The Love for Experimentation: Why We Grow Micro-Lots Instead of a Single Variety

Coffee is more than just a crop on our plantation—it’s an exploration of flavors, an ongoing experiment, and a journey into the uniqueness of each variety. Instead of planting a single variety across our land, we chose to cultivate micro-lots, each dedicated to a different coffee type. Why? Because we love to taste, to compare, and to understand how each variety thrives in our specific environment.

A Living Coffee Laboratory

From the moment you step onto our plantation, you can see the differences. Some coffee plants grow as tall as trees, while others resemble compact bushes. Some have deep green leaves, while others boast bronze-colored foliage. Even the cherries tell their own stories—some round and plump, others shaped like a football. This diversity is what fuels our passion. Each plant has its own identity, and we want to bring out the best in all of them.

Growing micro-lots allows us to study each variety’s characteristics, from resistance to coffee rust to how they react to Turrialba’s tropical climate. We don’t just plant coffee—we experiment, observe, and refine. Every year, we learn more about how these varieties interact with our soil, our rainfall patterns, and our altitude. And that knowledge helps us push quality to the next level.

Harvesting at the Peak of Perfection

One of the biggest challenges in coffee farming is ensuring that every cherry is picked at the perfect moment. In Turrialba, where rain patterns cause uneven ripening, this is even more crucial. If we had a single variety plantation, we’d struggle with cherries ripening at different times, leading to a mix of underripe and overripe beans. By working with micro-lots, we can fine-tune our harvests. We pick each variety separately, making sure we collect only the ripest cherries at their peak.

This commitment to quality continues beyond the harvest. Our coffee is dried in raised beds inside a controlled greenhouse, ensuring that each batch reaches the ideal humidity level of 9-12%. Then, it rests in our warehouse for three months, allowing flavors to fully develop before roasting. It’s all part of our mission to let every variety express its best qualities.

More Than Just Coffee—An Experience

For us, growing micro-lots isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about discovery. It’s about standing in the middle of the plantation and seeing the beauty of coffee in all its forms. It’s about being able to taste the differences, to smell the unique aromas, and to appreciate the subtle nuances that make each variety special.

If someone asks why we grow multiple varieties instead of just one, we don’t explain—we invite them to taste. Because in the end, coffee isn’t just about growing plants. It’s about crafting an experience, one cup at a time.