Don Eli La Guaria – Costa Rica

Don Eli wet mill, founded in 2014 in the Los Santos region of Costa Rica, represents the vision and determination of the Montero family. Carlos Montero, a lifelong coffee grower from a long line of farmers, established the mill to process his own cherries and build direct relationships with roasters. His initiative helped inspire many other producers in Tarrazú to follow the same path. Today, his son Jacob leads the mill, continuously refining processing techniques and recently adding a small dry mill station to prepare parchment for export, strengthening quality control from farm to shipment.

This lot, La Guaria, comes from farmer Leo Garro and his farm located at 1700 masl in San Isidro, León Cortés. Only the finest cherries are selected, sourced from trusted family members and neighboring growers within the Los Santos region. Careful cherry selection at high altitude ensures clarity, sweetness, and the vibrant character that defines this renowned Costa Rican origin.

Processed using the White Honey method, the cherries are depulped with minimal water using a Penagos Eco-pulper equipped with a mechanical demucilager. Most of the mucilage is gently removed before drying, resulting in a clean, refined cup profile with balanced sweetness, elegant acidity, and a smooth, silky body.