Don Eli - White Honey

MEET THE PRODUCER | This coffee is a real family effort! Imported by our friends at Selva Coffee and produced by the father / father-in-law of that husband-wife duo, Carlos Moreno, this lot was processed at a wet mill bearing Carlos's father's name and touched many familial hands on its way to North Carolina. The Moreno family are well known in Tarrazú region of Costa Rica; they've been called visionaries, game changers, and even pioneers in the specialty coffee game there. Over 20 years ago, when he took over the family operation, Carlos Moreno had a bold vision of not just farming coffee, but also processing it and selling it directly to consumers and roasters. Fast forward to 2014, when Carlos constructed the wet mill that now bears his father's name.

TRUST THE PROCESS | The coffee cherries arriving at Don Eli Wet Mill are sent through a pulping machine and a mechanical de-mucilager before being spread out on raised drying beds for about 12 days, during which time they are moved around by hand every couple of hours. Once optimum moisture content is achieved, the lot is bagged up and set aside to be dry milled on-site a few weeks later. In this final step, the parchment is peeled, and the coffee undergoes three layers of quality sorting: first by screen size, then by density, and finally by hand.

TAKE A SIP | This coffee is simply crushable. With astonishingly clean fruit characteristics, like candied orange and dried apricot, you could almost mistake it for a washed coffee. The sweetness is deep and confectionary in nature, reminding us of maple and maple almond toffee. Coffee nerds and their grandmothers alike will swoon.

Origin | El Llano de La Piedra, San Marcos, Tarrazú, Costa Rica

Producer | Carlos Montero

Wet Mill | Don Eli Wet Mill

Process | White Honey

Variety | Catuai

Elevation | 1800–2000 MASL

Produced by Carlos Montero in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica, this Catuai lot from Black & White Coffee Roasters showcases the nuanced profile of the white honey process. Grown at elevations between 1800 and 2000 masl, the coffee is carefully managed to balance sweetness and clarity. While processing methods like white honey—where a minimal amount of mucilage remains on the bean during drying—often result in a cleaner cup than full natural processes, they still retain a distinct sugary depth. In this specific offering, that technique highlights notes of candied orange, dried apricot, maple, and maple almond toffee. To better understand how these specific descriptors fit into the broader spectrum of coffee profiles, you can reference the flavor wheel. This selection serves as a refined example of how meticulous post-harvest handling in high-altitude environments can elevate the inherent characteristics of the Catuai varietal.