OLD SCHOOL DRIP | CARAMEL APPLE, CHOCOLATE PASTRY, HAZELNUT | Washed Process | COSTA RICA

OLD SCHOOL DRIP:  Our sweet and balanced specialty grade drip coffees with a focus on decadent and traditional flavour profiles.  Old School vibe meets modern quality.   

ABOUT THE COFFEE:   A daily driver that reminds us of Caramel Apple's, Pain au Chocolat and Hazelnuts.  Although the natural acidity of the Volcancito evokes memories of Macintosh Apple's, calling this coffee "fruity" would be sending the wrong message.  It is firmly grounded in its Old School presentation, meaning whether you're a traditional coffee drinker or a 3rd wave explorer, this Costa Rican blend has something for everyone.  

FROM:  Central & West Valley | Costa Rica

FARM:  Volcan Azul

VARIETIES:  Mixed

PROCESS:  Washed Process

DRYING METHOD:  Patios + Mechanical dryer

ALTITUDE:  1400-1700 Meters Above Sea Level

Alejo Castro, a fifth-generation coffee producer, upholds his family's legacy of exceptional coffee with the Volcancito blend. Sourced from his four different farms in Costa Rica's West and Central Valley region, this blend is crafted from each farm’s youngest coffeetrees and showcases the meticulous care that goes into every stage of their production. The four farms include F.CJ. Volcan Azul, known for its limited selection of exclusive micro and nano batches featuring unique varieties like Caturra, Gesha, SL-28, Villa sarchi, Sarchimor, and Mocca. Additionally, beans come from both Volcancito in Tarrazu and in the one in Central Valley. Finally, there is Hacienda Colima, which has been family-owned since the mid-1800s.

Coffee can be dried through various methods such as patio drying, parabolic raised beds, and mechanical dryers. The chosen drying technique greatly influences the structure, density, and longevity of the final product. At Volcan Azul, patio drying and mechanical dryers are used for larger lots, while raised beds are primarily employed for micro-lots. Notably, patio drying takes place at 1,500 meters above sea level, where cooler temperatures slow the process, allowing the beans' aromas to fully develop. In 2021, Volcan Azul invested in expanding their drying infrastructure, doubling their drying patio size and adding two mechanical dryers (guardiolas). These dryers are used in a controlled manner, extending the drying period to 10-15 days with intermittent breaks, in contrast to the 36-hour drying cycles commonly used in large mills.

Volcancito is an estate blend from Alejo Castro’s three farms : Volcancito in Tarrazú, Hacienda Colima in Central Valley and Volcan Azul in West Valley. Central and West Valley regions in Costa Rica are renowned for their high quality coffee production, due to their unique climates and soil conditions.

"I enjoy experimenting with processing and finding exotic and perfectly layered flavours in coffee, but I have learned over the years that the successful experiment is the one that you can repeat which means to understand each step and make it efficient. The rest is a matter of taste preferences. Indeed, there is nothing like a perfectly balanced, bright and sweet coffee that stands out for unique flavours brought by a complexity of the terroir and genetics of the variety with a bit of care and knowledge into the processing." -Alejo Castro