PATALILLO WET MILL, Red Honey

Our new release from Costa Rica is a beautifully moreish, red honey processed H1 hybrid. We taste sweet red apples, with rich chocolate and a hint of nutmeg.

CULTIVAR: H1
PREPARATION: Red Honey
LOCATION: Tarrazú
ALTITUDE: 1,600m – 1,800 masl
PRICE PAID: £11.86/kg

El Patalillo was founded in 1888 by Teodosio Castro and ever since has played an important role in the development of coffee in the region of Tres Ríos and the rest country. For five generations the mill has been maintained by the family and is currently managed by ECOM Sustainability Management Services (SMS). Originally, coffee grown at this plantation was primarily exported, but throughout the years the family has prioritised sustainability by adopting environmentally friendly growing and harvesting techniques and giving back to Costa Rica by donating land and supporting charity groups in the country.

Assisted by the SMS team, many farmers from the Tarrazú region over the last few seasons, have managed to improve their productivity, reduce the cost of production, and implement new practices to reduce their environmental impact.

Patalillo Wet Mill has been investing heavily in the development of new varieties to improve both environmental and economic sustainability. Not only are they growing varieties brought from neighbouring producing countries, but they also experiment with hybrids using their fields as laboratories so that other producers don't have to take that risk.

Patalillo was one of the first producers in Costa Rica to plant H1 in their fields and thankfully it proved to be a fantastic variety and now more and more producers have been able to plant it and benefit from its unique characteristics. The H1 hybrid is very productive, resistant to disease, and the cup quality is very high. The hardiness of this variety allows farmers to use less products to maintain their farm which leads to far more sustainable coffee. H1 is a first generation of a cross between Mundo Novo and a Timor Hybrid. These hybrids have become very popular among the producing community and there are many to choose from in the current market.

The wet mill is well known for their red honey process! The fruit arrives at the mill and is rested for a day and a half to allow the fermentation to begin. The slightly softened cherries are then de-pulped without any water and the layer of sticky fruit mucilage is left intact on the seed. The coffee is then dried on concrete patios and is not moved too much for the first three days which turns the layer of parchment on the seed its signature red colour. Then the coffee is moved more frequently for the next three days before being transferred to raised beds to finish drying over another five days.