Costa Rica Pérez Zeledón: Our Newest Single Origin
Oct 05, 2026
There's a new origin on the roast table, and it earned its place fast.
Where it comes from
Pérez Zeledón sits in Costa Rica's Brunca region, in the shadow of Cerro Chirripó — at 3,820 meters, the tallest mountain in the country — with Panama at its southeastern edge. This lot comes from Páramo, where smallholder farms dot the southeastern slopes of the Talamanca range: irregular terrain, abundant rivers, and a patchwork of microclimates that make for genuinely distinctive coffee. Coffee has been the region's lifeblood since migrants from the Central Valley brought it here toward the end of the 19th century — they found the climate and soil ideal, and it went on to shape the area's economy and culture, a tradition built on family unity.
The hands behind it
Grown by Volcafe Way certified smallholders — family farms in a program that pairs growers with field technicians for agronomy and farm management, so better farming means better livelihoods. After picking, the ripe red cherries go to local receiving stations, then to Beneficio El General — one of the oldest mills in the region — where the lot is fully washed.
The harvest
Picking runs October through February, and it's selective: only ripe red cherries, picked by hand. The varieties are Caturra, Catuai, and Obata, grown between 1,250 and 1,700 meters. That altitude earns the SHB grade — Strictly Hard Bean — meaning the cherries mature slowly in the cool mountain air, growing denser and sweeter. The EP stamp (European Preparation) means strict sorting: screen size 15 and up, no more than eight defects per 300 grams.
The varieties
Three Arabica varieties share these mountainsides, and each brings something to the cup. Caturra — a natural dwarf mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil — thrives at Central American altitudes, where it turns bright and citric with a clean finish. Catuai, its Brazilian-bred offspring (a cross of Mundo Novo and Caturra whose name means "very good" in Tupi-Guarani), is the dependable backbone: balanced, sweet, and high-yielding. Obata is the modern one — a cross of Timor Hybrid and Villa Sarchi bred for strong resistance to coffee leaf rust, with a sweet aroma, creamy texture, and chocolate-citrus character that has been turning heads in cupping competitions. Together at 1,250 to 1,700 meters, they're the reason this coffee tastes the way it does.
In the cup
Milk chocolate up front, nougat through the middle, then stone fruit and clementine lifting the finish. Sweet, clean, bright — no edge.
Roasted the day you order
Like everything we roast, it never sits in a warehouse. Your bag is roasted the day you order it.
Brewing it
Pour-over is our favorite way in — it keeps the cup clean and lets that brightness shine.
Available now in 10 oz and 1 lb, whole bean or ground, plus K-Cups — grab a bag below.
