The Montero Family Farms - Costa Rica

Pablo's family grows this coffee — two farms in Tarrazú, Costa Rica, all of it processed at their own micromill. Single varieties, fully traceable, including Q-graded 90-point Geisha and Mokka.

The Montero Family Farms

My friend Pablo's family grows this coffee. His father, Jesús Montero, farms Finca Los Chutas. His uncle, Juan Rafael Montero, farms Finca Monteroga. Both sit in Tarrazú, in Costa Rica's Los Santos region — and every lot from both farms is processed at Juan's own micromill, Tío Juan.

That's the whole chain. Two farms, one mill, one family. When you buy a bag from this collection, I can tell you the farm it grew on, the variety it was planted as, and the name of the man who dried it.

The Monteros work almost entirely in single varieties — mostly Catuai and Caturra, the backbone of great Tarrazú coffee. Their Red Catuai cups at 86.5, which is a serious score for an everyday lot.

Then there's the rare end of the mill. Their Geisha and their Mokka both scored 90. Coffee at that level is uncommon anywhere; coffee at that level with a family name and a farm name attached to it is rarer still. Those lots are small, and they go fast.