Costa Rica El Venado SL-28

Cerro San Luis micromill and the two adjacent farms, Finca El Venado and Finca El Alquimia are run by two sisters and their husbands. The two farms and micromill have been in their family for two generations. Their farms grow more than 10 varieties of coffee, including Caturra, Bourbon, Orange Bourbon, SL-28, Catuai, Yellow Catuai, and Villa Sarchi. After the coffee cherry is harvested, it's brought to the mill for processing. The mill processes the coffees as washed, honey, or natural before being dried, sorted, and prepared for export.

We had another SL28 from their sister farm El Alquimia last season, and here we are, checking out El Venado. The cultivar SL-28 may sound familiar. That's because it is typically associated with Kenyan coffee. SL-28 is a plant selectively grown in Scott Agricultural Labs and plays a significant role in the Kenyan flavor profile that is so iconic. We now get a chance to taste what this distinctive cultivar tastes like grown in Costa Rica. EL Venado is balanced and sweet, with notes of navel orange, jasmine, honey, and brown sugar.