RIVENSE SPECIAL FERMENT, COSTA RICA - FILTER COFFEE

Our second coffee this year from the Ureña family at Café Rivense, Costa Rica. This lot is full-bodied and sweet, with a subtle twist brought by its fermentation process. In the cup, you’ll find notes of plum, dark grape, berry-like funk, and dark chocolate.

The coffee is processed using the honey method, where the coffee cherry is pulped without water, leaving the mucilage intact. It is pre-dried in the sun for two days, then transferred to sealed plastic bags for fermentation lasting ten days. After this stage, the coffee is dried mechanically until it reaches 10% moisture. The brief pre-drying ensures the fermentation remains slow and controlled, preserving a clean cup while introducing a distinct layer of complexity.

This coffee comes from Café Rivense del Chirripó, a family-owned farm founded in 2005 by Régulo Ureña and Isabel Rojas in southern Costa Rica. Their dedication to quality has been recognized internationally, including a 5th place finish in the 2019 Cup of Excellence with the Vista al Chirripó Caturra Honey lot. Their son Ricardo is a familiar face to us at GLC. He visited Finland years ago, even experiencing a smoke sauna at Kuusijärvi in Vantaa with our own Aleksi. We crossed paths again at World of Coffee in Copenhagen, and decided to bring their coffee to the roastery. We're glad we did—the results are absolutely delicious.

The farm is run with sustainability in mind. Shade trees enrich the soil and protect the coffee plants, fertilization is guided by annual soil analysis, herbicide is used sparingly, and water sources across the farm are protected. Fruit trees planted throughout the land also help support local wildlife.

The coffee cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness and pulped without water to preserve the mucilage’s natural sweetness. Drying takes place on raised beds and in mechanical dryers. All processing, sorting, and packaging is done on the farm, ensuring full traceability and consistent quality.

The Chirripó micro-region has quickly earned a place on Costa Rica’s specialty coffee map. Nestled between Cerro de la Muerte and Cerro Chirripó (1,820m—the country’s highest peak), the region benefits from elevations of 1,300 to 2,000 meters, rich volcanic soil, and a cool mountain climate. These conditions create an ideal environment for growing healthy coffee trees and producing complex, vibrant cups. In recent years, the area’s potential has become increasingly clear, helping drive growth in both quality and cultivation.