Origin Stories: Alfaro - Smooth, Dark, & Sophisticated

 First off, what the heck is an "Alfaro?"

Well, first and foremost, it's our good friend Minor's last name. Minor Alfaro is both a Costa Rican brewer visionary (creator of the Vandola) & a renowned coffee roaster, highly respected for his unmistakable roasting techniques. That is why when he proposed to work with us on a new coffee blend, we couldn't say no.

What's up with the Lighthouse on the bag?

The surname Alfaro translates to "lighthouse" or "beacon." It's roots are Arabic.

But why do we really use the lighthouse? Because this roast is a beacon of what an amazing dark Costa Rican coffee should be. Celebrating both the region that it originates from and the care that goes into it's processing and roasting. And.... it looks cool.

Our new Alfaro blend is a symphony of two different varieties of Arabica coffees, Caturra & Catuai.

• Caturra is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety, which was originally grown in Brazil. This variety gives Alfaro some brightness, including citrus notes. It is naturally a higher altitude coffee.
• Catuai is a hybrid variety that also originated in Brazil. It has an extremely balanced, sweet flavor profile with notes of nuts, chocolate, and fruit.

Both of these coffees are grown in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, within an altitude range of 1,200 to 1,400 meters above sea level and are the result of natural processing. Their characteristics fit together harmoniously to deliver a remarkable taste and finish.

A RESPECTABLE Dark Roast

We call Alfaro a "respectable" dark roast because the coffee is "carefully" roasted. That means that there is no over roasting or burning of the beans, ever. Since we are dealing with specialty coffees, Minor makes sure to strike the right balance between providing a true darker roast while preserving the coffee's characteristics of origin (the true flavors of the coffee aren't destroyed). This is a delicate process, but it's paramount to provide a darker coffee that isn't just charred to a crisp. Minor is well known for the consistency and even quality of his roasting. You can easily see why when you open up a bag.

It is true that many folks in the United States reach for a dark roast coffee on a daily basis, so we feel that we would like to show them what a true specialty dark roast should taste like. A coffee that still has character. 

A match made in Coffee Heaven

We really do believe that Minor developed this roast to be used in a Vandola. Our taste buds have no doubt. Since he created this one-of-a-kind brewer, he has worked tirelessly to develop a coffee that is perfectly highlighted by this slow, meditative brewing process. Thus you have the Vandola/Alfaro combo.