Costa Rica: Don Joel - Finca Carmela

Costa Rica: Don Joel - Finca Carmela

This cup opens with silky, sweet wine gums and the zingy lift of lime and raspberries. Juicy black grapes come in on the finish of this well-rounded and fruity coffee.

We were lucky enough to first buy excellent Costa Rican coffee from Allan Oviedo Rodriguez just shy of a decade ago. We have been building a relationship with him and his family ever since that first purchase in 2017. This year we have three different lots produced by Allan. This is a Honey-processed Villa Sarchi coffee from Finca Carmela.

Finca Carmela: The Details

Allan has two farms in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica’s famous Western Valley: Finca La Cumbre and Finca Carmela. Their Don Joel micromill, named in honour of his late father, is situated on La Cumbre. The mill provides expert processing for both farms, plus small lots for neighbouring producers when there is capacity to take in extra cherry.

This coffee was grown on Finca Carmela. The farm sits at 1,600 metres above sea level and is just three hectares in size. The small plot is planted mainly with Villa Sarchi and Typica, along with small trials of varieties such as SL28.

Microclimates Are Key

Despite Allan’s two farms being only five minutes’ drive from each other, their locations on opposite sides of the same hill mean they experience vastly different microclimates. Weather fronts arriving from different directions will often affect one farm but not the other.

Even small variations in rainfall, sunshine, and wind can have a profound impact on how coffee trees grow and fruit. These subtle differences lead to distinct characteristics in the cup and give Carmela’s harvests their own unique personality.

To learn more about Finca Carmela and Allan’s coffee journey, check out his Producer Story here: Allan Oviedo & Family Producer Story.

Finca Carmela may be small, but it perfectly embodies Allan’s approach: careful attention, deep respect for the land, and a vision for producing coffees that express a genuine sense of place. We’re proud to share it with you.

Traceability

• Country: Costa Rica

• Region: Western Valley

• Province: Alajuela

• Canton: San Luis de Grecia

• Farm: Finca Carmela

• Micromill: Don Joel

• Producer: Allan Oviedo

• Elevation: 1,600 m.a.s.l.

• Processing method: Honey

• Varietal: Villa Sarchi

Cupping Scores

Cupping notes: Wine gums, lime, raspberry, black grape.

Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores

• Clean Cup: 6.5/8

• Sweetness: 7/8

• Acidity: 6/8

• Mouthfeel: 6/8

• Flavour: 6.5/8

• Aftertaste: 6.5/8

• Balance: 6.5/8

• Overall: 6.5/8

• Total: 87.5/100

If you'd like to find out more about how we score coffees, have a read of What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?, and if you fancy trying cupping yourself, we've got a guide to that too: What is Coffee Cupping.

Roasting Information

Medium - through first crack and keeping it steady before you drop midway into the gap.

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Produced by Allan Oviedo at Finca Carmela, this Costa Rica: Don Joel selection highlights the distinct character of the Western Valley Costa Rica · Western Valley. The coffee features the Villa Sarchi Villa Sarchi varietal, a natural mutation of Bourbon known for its compact size and resilience in high-altitude environments. By utilizing a honey process Processing methods explainer—where some or all of the mucilage remains on the bean during drying—the producer influences the final cup profile, often resulting in increased sweetness and a syrupy body compared to fully washed counterparts.

Roasted by Ozone Coffee, this lot presents a vibrant sensory experience defined by notes of wine gums, lime, raspberry, and black grape. When evaluating these complex profiles, enthusiasts often consult a flavor wheel to better identify the nuanced acidity and fruit-forward characteristics typical of high-quality Costa Rican harvests. This specific offering serves as a compelling example of how regional terroir and meticulous processing techniques converge in the cup.