Country: Costa Rica
Producers: 10 small producers
Mill: Los Crestones
Region: Brunca
Variety: Caturra
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,700 m a.s.l
Harvest: 2025

The Los Crestones mill is a cooperative operated by ten coffee-producing families in a small, remote village in southern Costa Rica. The village lies at the foot of Cerro Chirripó—Costa Rica’s highest peak at 3,820 meters.

This region was not originally known for coffee. The families who live here were traditionally vegetable farmers, cultivating delicate crops such as tomatoes and bell peppers. Over time, however, they realized that coffee had strong long-term potential and gradually shifted their focus toward coffee production.

As the years passed, challenges emerged. Coffee from the broader Brunca region (a large coffee-growing area in southern Costa Rica) began to develop a poor reputation for quality. Because much of the coffee was grown at lower altitudes, the purchase price for coffee cherries declined. Faced with prices too low to sustain their livelihoods, the ten families made a bold decision: they united and took the risk of establishing their own micro-mill.

Fifteen years later, their gamble has paid off. Today, the families grow, process, and export coffee together using sustainable methods.

Processing

Los Crestones uses a traditional double-washed process.

After harvest, the coffee cherries are rested briefly and then pulped. At this stage, the seeds remain coated in mucilage—a sticky layer surrounding the parchment. The parchment is placed into large open fermentation tanks and submerged in fresh water.

After 12–18 hours of fermentation, the parchment is agitated to help remove the mucilage, then rinsed with clean water, producing exceptionally clean parchment.

For drying, the parchment is first placed on raised beds inside a greenhouse for about eight days, with frequent turning to ensure even drying. It is then moved to concrete patios or mechanical dryers for an additional two days, reaching the ideal moisture content of 10–12%.

This double-washed process is what gives Los Crestones coffee its signature clarity and clean, well-defined flavor.