Category: Green Beans > Central America

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Costa Rica Dota Tarrazu -El Conquistador

Sweet Maria's Coffee

Dota is a small subregion of the Tarrazú valley, more remote than the areas where most of the coffee is planted. And for years this particular coffee, El Conquistador, went to a single roaster in Germany. Great Dota coffees are fairly small sized seeds, with greater density due to the high altitudes they are cultivated at. Some roasters used to believe that the unique Dota cup character was the result of extra fermentation times at the mill during the wet-processing of the coffee. But it fact it is processed the same way that other Tarrazú coffees are, with the same fermentation times. The difference is in the unique soils that are found in the Dota micro-region of Tarrazú. We have stocked this coffee for several years now and in each blind cupping to new-crop Costas it is always a standout (but often in a slightly different way). This lot of Dota Conquistador is really exceptional, well-fruited, creamy and refined all at once. When this cup is piping hot, the first impression is a deep balance between low acids-brightness (especially for a Costa Rican from such high altitudes), and mild fruits. It is markedly different from other Costa Ricans; this is not a "nutty" coffee (a tough term to affix to coffees since it is dependent on the roast - some nuttiness is bad and is due to low-grown character or to the dreaded Catimor cultivar). The acidity is there, but it is very clean and registers itself in a very understated way. The body is exceptional and velvety, and cups range from milk chocolate to bittersweet depending on variations in the degree of roast. As the cup cools, it seems to reveal itself in layers. The brightness emerges a bit more. The caramel roast taste sweetens, and there's more than a hint of fresh berry in the finish. The berry in this cup is the clincher for me! It's subtle, it's very clean but it is there. And there's a slight winey quality to it too. This cup is mild overall (and that is meant in the best of ways), and infinitely charming - if you ever get tired of being clubbed over the head with the outrageous flavors from a coffee like Harar, turn to this casually cup seductive cup!

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For more information on this product, visit Sweet Maria's Coffee's website.