During my trip to Costa Rica in March, I visited many farms and producers we haven't bought from yet. The Aguilera Bros processing mill and their farms were amongst them.
The Aguilera Bros Micro Mill is run by the 12 Aguilera brothers, with a number of farms also owned by the brothers. They grow a huge number of varieties, spanning from Costa Rican classics like Caturra to more exotic varietals like Gesha and San Roque (on the same genetic line as Kenyan SL28). The truck ride around the farms was one of the most spectacular we took, with beautiful views around the West Valley and the neighbouring farms.
Whilst staying in the area, we also met Dylan Aguilera, the only son of the brothers who is passionate about coffee and currently starting his own journey into farming and processing. During the cuppings we had, it was clear that Dylan's understanding of experimental processing is fantastic. As Costa Rican cup tasting champion this year, there's no doubting his palate is on point. Dylan explained how he's been experimenting with different strains of yeast to pinpoint flavours already occurring naturally in the beans and amplifying them without imparting fermentation flavours.
A few weeks after we got back, Dylan came to Augsburg to visit friends and came to Café Blá to host a cupping for the Munich roaster community. One coffee, which he brought knowing I would love it, stood out hugely on the table. An anaerobic process Villa Sarchi. Villa Sarchi is a natural Bourbon mutation hailing from the West Valley of Costa Rica, where the Aguilera's farms are located. It is known for it's delicate, elegant aroma profile and crisp apple acidity. The anaerobic process in our current lot from Dylan and his family has all of this but with added depth, a huge amount of sweetness and some velvety plumminess.
As always, our friend Nico from Planting Costa Rica was responsible for connecting us with the Aguileras and the import of this coffee. Thanks for everything Nico, we love this coffee, and all of the other fantastic lots you helped us to find this year!!!
