Costa Rica Cumbres del Poas Natural Black Diamond SL28 Finca Carrizal (GP)

Dona Francisca and her husband Oscar Chacon of Las Lajas are 3rd generation coffee producers. They own and manage their micro mill, Las Lajas, and specialty coffee farms in different regions of the foothills of the Poas volcano in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The Cumbres del Poas name comes from the area where the coffee is produced, the summits of the Poas volcano.

Oscar Chacon’s grandparents started what is now Las Lajas in 1948. Over time, Oscar and Francisca inherited the farms and therefore became coffee producers. In 2000, they started processing coffee themselves at the Las Lajas mill, largely focusing on yellow, red and black honey processed coffee.

However, on February 8, 2008, the Cinchona earthquake struck and significantly impacted the area. After a week without drinking water or electricity, they realized they needed to figure out how to process their harvest since they were unable to produce washed or honey coffee. Eventually, they decided to process the coffee naturally, resulting in their now famous natural processed coffee, a coffee that has opened the doors to many markets for Las Lajas.

The Chacon family is committed to producing the best high-quality specialty coffee while focusing on environmentally friendly practices. During the harvest of their coffees, they measure the brix content in the coffee cherries to determine the best time to pick their coffees to obtain the utmost sweet and fruit forward profile. Additionally, water use at Las Lajas is minimal, since their coffees do not undergo the washed process. Oscar and Francisca are focused on sharing their knowledge and passion for specialty coffee with their four children, as they will eventually take the reins of the family business.