What is ASOPROAAA?

These beans were cultivated hand in hand with the organisation ASOPROAAA (Association of Agricultural Producers of Acosta and Asserí), a collection of producers from Costa Rica. Established in 1998, following the disaster of Hurricane Mitch, they work tirelessly to ensure the longevity of the coffee industry.

With dedicated programmes training farmers in good agricultural practices, they are making massive strides to improve the industry and the overall quality of coffee. To improve these communities’ livelihood, they built more than 2,000 houses, which have helped to improve living conditions and have widely benefited the area.

They currently own about 20 hectares of land and oversee several smaller farms and micro-lots. A dedicated team of six people takes care of these plots, with some being purely experimental. This means they aren’t just improving coffee production but also creating some awesome new coffees! High five!

What makes this coffee so good?

One method which has helped these beans gain that all-important speciality grade is due to the use of agroforestry. This is where trees are deliberately planted amongst crops to provide shade, protecting the plants from overexposure to sunlight. By having constant protection, the cherries can grow slowly, which only develops their incredible flavours more.

The coffee plot itself sits at 1700 metres above sea level, which is another great attribute when growing coffee. Once these cherries are perfectly ripe, they are hand-picked and transported to the local washing station, Potrerillos, to be processed.

How are they processed?

When they arrive at the washing station, which sits 900 metres above sea level, they are laid out across patios to dry in the sun for 8-12 days. This is monitored by ASOPROAAA to check for any over-fermentation and mould. To prevent this from happening, they are turned routinely. This process is known as the natural, dry or sundried method.

Once the fruit has dried to the optimal moisture level, the beans are removed from the cherry and washed to remove that final bit of mucilage before being dried and packaged. They are then shipped to us at Two Chimps HQ, where our artisan roaster does a roast trial to get the process spot-on.

Once cupping is complete and we are happy with the flavour, we will note the roasting profile and get ready to roast our first small batch to be sent out to you guys!

How can I get my hands on this coffee?

Luckily for you, you don’t have to wait! This coffee is already up and ready to go!