Sugar Heist

Felix, Dario & Juan Carlos Umaña are fourth generation coffee producers. They grew up on the farm in Alto Canet, Tarrazu and their dad took it upon himself to teach them about agriculture from an early age. Their family used to only deal with the agriculture side of coffee producing – that is they would grow coffee, pick the cherries, and deliver them to the local co-op. But in 2014, the Umaña brothers mounted their own micro mill, and named it “La Roca”. Every year since then, they have been working on learning more about processing and improving their practices, from cherry selection to de-pulping to drying. Their hard work has paid off as they have achieved back-to-back-to-back top 5 finishes in the Exclusive Coffees Annual Competition, including a first-place finish in 2021. In true form, they invested 100% of their winnings from the 2021 first place finish in de-pulping equipment to better improve quality!

This lot is a Red Catuaí from their farm called El Alto. It’s located at 2000m and benefits from slow growing conditions. The coffee has always surprised me on the cupping table with its delicate acidity and complex and elegant fruit notes. This was definitely one of my favourite Costa Rican coffees this year.

After spending time with them, I am not at all surprised that they produce some of the best coffee in the country. They are a family whose foundation is built on hard work, addiction to excellence and attention to detail. For starters, Juan Carlos is a world class mountain biker and he and his brother Felix train daily. They wake up every day at 2am and ride their mountain bikes in complete darkness until around 5:30am. At that time, they quickly have breakfast, change, and get ready for a heavy workday at the farm. Unlike many of their Costa Rican counterparts, the brothers perform a large percentage of the manual labour at their farm. This dedication to their farm ensures that things are done precisely and at the right time. The end result is better coffee.

Fun fact: Juan Carlos won a crazy bike race called “La Ruta de Conquistadores” – a 3-day coast-to-coast race that covers nearly every possible terrain. It’s truly an unreal accomplishment.

Their work ethic started at an early age. Their mother is known in the town for her baking and cooking skills. When they were kids, mom would bake these buns and the kids would take them with their bikes to the town and sell them daily. The only issue is that the town is 5km away and about 500m lower in elevation than their house. This grueling daily ride formed them into the amazing extreme athletes they are today and gave them a foundation of working hard for success.

Since meeting the brothers, I have been inspired and in awe of their dedication, determination, and humility. I am truly proud to be able to share their coffee!