West Valley Blend

Tasting Notes: Wild Plum / Turbinado Sugar / Creamy

Producers: Francisco Mena & Ricardo Perez

Region: West Valley, Costa Rica

Elevation: 1500 – 1800 MASL

Processing: Black Honey & Fully Washed

Cultivars: Villa Sarchi, Villalobos

2021 marks the 15th anniversary of our partnership with two of Costa Rica’s most celebrated coffee producers — Ricardo Perez and Francisco Mena – both progenitors of the original “Micro Mill Revolution,” which transformed the landscape of coffee production in Costa Rica and beyond.

We first visited Francsico and Ricardo in the West Valley way back in 2006, when the Micro Mill program had just been launched. This movement aimed to give identity and independence to small farmers who desperately wanted to escape the economic trap of high volume and low prices pushed by the regional mills. The Micro Mill model allowed small farmers to finance small-scale processing equipment (Penagos Ecopulpers to be exact) so they could mill their own coffees using techniques that emphasized quality and sustainability.

As we all know now, this model has been a huge success, elevating the quality of Costa Rican coffee and allowing motivated farmers to earn quality-based premiums for their exceptional coffee. It’s been a win-win for Costa Rican producers and those of us who love great coffee. Flying Goat Coffee has been an ardent supporter of these micro-mill revolutionaries since day one, and their coffees have been customer favorites since we brought in our first lot back in 2006.

In honor of our long relationship with these two coffee icons, we have blended two renowned West Valley cultivars from each of their farms to create our limited release “West Valley Blend.”  With equal parts Villa Sarchi (from Francisco’s Sumava de Lourdes farm) and Villalobos (from Ricardo’s Santa Lucia Farm), we’ve created a blend with lush body, lingering sweetness, and tasting notes powered by dark stone fruit (wild plum and black cherry).

The West Valley Blend represents a collaborative effort between producers Francisco Mena and Ricardo Perez. Sourced from the West Valley region of Costa Rica, this coffee is cultivated at elevations ranging from 1500 to 1800 masl. The final profile is achieved through a combination of Black Honey and fully washed processing methods. While processing methods significantly influence the final cup, honey-processed coffees often retain more mucilage during drying, which can contribute to a heavier body and increased sweetness.

In the cup, this blend highlights notes of wild plum, turbinado sugar, and black cherry, supported by a creamy mouthfeel and dark stone fruit characteristics. These descriptors can be mapped against the flavor wheel to better understand the nuances of the roast. By blending these distinct processing techniques, the producers create a balanced experience that showcases the diverse potential of the Costa Rican landscape.