Coffee of the Month - November 2026 Costa Rica, SHB La Pastora

In 1960, 226 smallholder farmers in the Los Santos de Tarrazu region came together to overcome coffee production challenges, more than 60 years later CoopeTarrazu is now the largest cooperative in Tarrazu. In 2006 the cooperative established the Coffee Culture quality of life sustainability plan – through this they aim to track the environmental impact, implement better practices and create a culture of environmental awareness. Strictly high bean (SHB) specifies the altitude at which the coffee was grown, the high altitude and lower temperatures mean the cherry matures more slowly creating a denser bean. Tarrazu is a famous coffee region in central Costa Rica, the nearby Pirris River provides water to the highland region make it perfect for coffee production. During harvest season the regions population grows with the influx of seasonal workers. 90% of the country’s 50,000 farmers are smallholders who deliver their cherries to micro mills whose process methods helps to retain single lot or single farm qualities. The coffee is picked ripe before being brought to a receiving mill then onto the wet mill where centrifugal processors depulp the cherries with a hugely reduced demand for water and no need for fermentation. The beans are then taken to pre-driers for around 12 hours before entering a Guardiola for a final drying of approximately 20 hours.

Growing Altitude: 1500 - 1800 masl

Milling process: Fully Washed

Aroma: Sweet

Body: Creamy

Acidity: Lively

Cup Characteristics:

Chocolate, Caramel,

Green Grape