Aquiares – Anaerobic Natural | Costa Rica

Details & Tasting Notes

Tastes like: 🫐 Blackberries • 🍑 Red Plum • 🌺 Tamarind

Origin: Costa Rica
Region: Turrialba, Cartago
Producer: Diego Robelo
Altitude: 1400 MASL
Variety: Mixed varieties (SL28, SL24, Typica, Geisha, San Isidro, Bourbon)
Process: Anaerobic Natural
Harvest: 2025

Intro

This anaerobic natural lot from Aquiares is a bold and expressive snapshot of one of Costa Rica’s most ambitious coffee projects. Juicy, structured, and deeply fruited, it reflects both the volcanic terroir of Turrialba and Aquiares’ long-term vision for varietal research and precision processing.

The Producer

Diego Robelo is the owner of Aquiares, Costa Rica’s largest single-block coffee plantation, located on the slopes of the Turrialba volcano. Over the past nine years, Aquiares has become a benchmark for sustainability, traceability, and innovation in Central America.

This particular lot comes from Aquiares’ variety garden, established in 2018 as a living research project. The garden features exotic and traditional cultivars including SL28, SL24, Typica, Geisha, San Isidro, and Bourbon. This blend represents the genetic exploration of the project, with SL28 already identified as the standout variety for a future 50-bag production planned for 2026.

The Process

This coffee is processed as an Anaerobic Natural, executed with impressive control and consistency:

Cherries are floated to remove defects
Fermentation takes place in sealed barrels with must, lasting 1–2 days until reaching pH 4.3
Temperature and pH are monitored twice daily
Pre-drying begins on ceramic floors for 2 days
Coffee is then dried on raised African beds for 10–15 days at 28–40°C
A short mechanical Guardiola drying follows (1 day)
Finally, the coffee rests in parchment in GrainPro for 6–8 weeks before milling

This meticulous workflow preserves fruit intensity while maintaining cleanliness and balance.

In the Cup

The cup is vibrant and juicy, led by rich blackberry sweetness and rounded red plum notes. A tangy tamarind acidity weaves through the profile, adding complexity and lift. The body is smooth and structured, with a lively fruit-forward character that remains balanced and refined rather than heavy or over-fermented.

This is a confident, modern anaerobic natural—fruit-driven, expressive, and a clear reflection of Aquiares’ genetic and processing mastery.