Costa Rica Hacienda La Luisa

Region: Sarchi, West Valley
Altitude: 1450-1800 m.a.s.l.
Variety: Villa Sarchi
Processing: Washed

UK Arrival: July 2026

Tasting Notes: Smooth butterscotch and floral honey sweetness lead the cup, backed up with notes of yellow stone fruit and milk chocolate. Finishing with an almost buttery, pastry-like quality.

This smooth and sweet Villa Sarchi is one half of a pair of Costa Rican coffees we have selected from this season's harvest. This lot was processed as a washed and its counterpart from El Refugio as a natural, highlighting the spread of flavours Costa Rican cultivar Villa Sarchi can express. Same country, same cultivar, but through careful processing two very different results in the cup. 

 

Hacienda La Luisa

Hacienda La Luisa holds 223 hectares of land high up on the hillsides of the West Valley, overlooking the towns of Los Angeles, La Luisa, Pueblo Nuevo and Sarchi. It takes great care of the settlements water sources and environment while also providing jobs for many locals.

Hacienda La Luisa produces around 1,300 bags of coffee each year, with approximately 35% of the production sold into the specialty coffee market. While coffee is the farm’s main focus, sugar cane is also grown on the property. The average age of the coffee trees is around 27 years old. To maintain healthy production, the farm carries out annual pruning using a 1x3 row cycle over a six-year rotation. Several coffee varieties are grown on the farm, including Villa Sarchi, SL28, Catuai, Caturra, Costa Rica 95, Marsellesa, Sarchimor, and San Isidro. These varieties were selected for their productivity, disease resistance, climate adaptability, and cup quality. Sustainability is also an important part of Hacienda La Luisa’s approach. Around 55% of the property is protected as primary forest and private reserve. The farm maintains programs for native tree reforestation, water conservation, and the protection of local wildlife, helping preserve the area’s natural biodiversity. Beyond coffee production, Hacienda La Luisa is also involved in supporting the local community. Together with Beneficio La Eva, the farm maintains a soccer field and recreational facilities where children and families from the area can gather and participate in healthy activities.

Villa Sarchi

Villa Sarchi is a distinctly Costa Rican coffee cultivar with a unique history. Like Caturra and Pacas, Villa Sarchi is a natural mutation of Bourbon caused by a single-gene mutation known as “Dwarf/Compactism,” which results in a smaller, more compact plant. First discovered in Costa Rica in the 1950/60s in the province of Alajuela near the town of Sarchi, the variety has since undergone careful pedigree selection to improve quality and consistency. Villa Sarchi is particularly well adapted to high-altitude environments and strong winds, though it remains relatively rare outside Costa Rica.

Washed processing

After being carefully hand-picked at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries from Hacienda La Luisa are sorted by hand to remove any defects before processing begins. Harvest takes place in three stages throughout the season: early, midseason, and late harvests, with additional sorting used to ensure only the ripest cherries are selected. The coffee is then transported 9 km to Beneficio La Eva S.A., where it is processed using an ecopulping system that uses significantly less water than traditional methods. The cherries are pulped and mechanically washed using a vertical demucilager called a “delva” without any fermentation. After washing, the coffee is pre-dried in vertical dryers for 10 to 12 hours before moving to Guardiola dryers for final drying. Throughout the process, careful temperature and moisture control helps maintain quality and consistency. The minimal fermentation helps the natural characteristics of the Villa Sarchi shine leading to a very clean cup profile.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s history is inextricably linked to coffee production: in fact, on the eve of the country’s independence from Spain, in 1821, free coffee seeds were distributed by the local government as a means of promoting coffee production to bolster the economy. Since it was first shipped to England in 1843, coffee has been one of Costa Rica’s key exports (it was, in fact, the ONLY export until 1890) and is linked to Costa Rica’s identity in a way that no other agricultural product is. The country’s producers were also some of the first ‘responders’ in the global movement towards quality in the cup; nonetheless, as recently as the 1980s, specialty coffee was barely understood, and Costa Rica’s production was largely lumped together as undifferentiated SHB and HB which only denotes the altitude at which the coffee was grown, not the quality, variety, or cup score.

Today, Costa Rica has answered the calls of export buyers for greater traceability and remains a leader in the boutique ‘micro mill’ and microlot movements, which allow specific lots to be traced back to a unique farm or plot.

 

A note about packaging

Our bags are #4 (LDPE—Low Density Polyethylene) made with 30% post consumer recycled plastic which can be recycled with carrier bags. These are widely collected at supermarkets and may even be collected by your local council. Find out how to refill or dispose of your Steampunk packaging HERE.