El Cuzuco

A hidden gem from Tarrazu, Costa Rica - one of the few sub-regions without phone reception! After generations of passion and hard work on his farms, Don William was not comfortable selling his coffee cherries at market price. The solution was obvious: add value by processing his own coffee. Finding a loan to purchase a wet mill was almost impossible, with only offers above 14% interest on the table. Giving up was not an option, so in 2015 he decided to continue selling the lowest quality of his harvest to pump his cash-flow and specialise on natural processing of the best quality cherries — a bold move, as over-fermentations could have meant a tremendous monetary cost.

Don William named his mill after his second daughter Hellen, who was only 20 years old and was helping him half-time on this adventure, while being a mother the other half. Because they achieved outstanding and mind-blowing profiles, the demand for their coffees has exceeded supply. We are extremely honoured and proud to present this beautiful coffee and life story to you.