Costa Rica Don Mayo Natural ASD

About Costa Rica Don Mayo Natural ASD

Arrived very late October 2023, new crop, in Grainpro. This particular coffee was extremely popular last year and had many repeat customers. The price is lower this year than last.

This now is our fourth season offering a Natural Anaerobic processed coffee from our old friend Don Mayo Bonilla, who owns and processes coffee from a number of the choicest properties high in mountainous Tarrazu. This farm this coffee came from, this year, is La Loma and it is perched at 1900 meters. 

We have offered Don Mayo's 1900 meter washed coffee from his San Francisco property for years and it is a customer favorite. This Natural process coffee is a whole other direction from him and is really an outstanding coffee, especially for the price. This coffee was one our own favorites to come across our cupping table this year.  We increased our allocation this year due to last season's demandy so take advantage of it. We think you will be as impressed as we are.

Hector Bonilla's coffees have swept numerous awards attesting to the consistency of his quality as well as his mastery of a number of processing methods.  These awards include:

• Cup of Excellence 2020 - #1
• Cup of Excellence 2016 - #5
• Cup of Excellence 2014 - #6
• Cup of Excellence 2013 - #4 and #10
• Cup of Excellence 2011 - #7
• Cup of Excellence 2009 - #1
• Cup of Excellence 2008 - #3

The ASD process involves placing ripe cherries into fermentation tanks for 120+ hours and drying the coffee on raised drying beds. This process allows for the fermentation to happen slower than traditional dry processing, and almost entirely inside the bean, which results in highly concentrated flavors. ASD process coffees are steadily gaining in popularity among specialty coffee drinkers and we have started to cup a lot of them. This particular ASD really impressed us with concentrated and layered flavors yet it remains very clean and balanced compared to some ASDs which can be more on the wild side. The green coffee is tinged with red from the process, due to contact between skin and husk.

• Country: Costa Rica
• Farm: La Loma
  
• Producer: Hector Bonilla and Family
• Region: Tarrazu
• Municipality: San Marcos
  
• Altitude: 1900 meters
• Varietal: Catuai
• Process: Anaerobic Slow Dry
• Processed at:  Don Mayo Micromill
• Harvest Season: September to February

Cup Characteristics: Surprisingly powerful and nuanced, well processed coffee showing candied flavors of blueberry, Maraschino cherry and tropical fruit. While somewhat intense, the coffee is clean and flavors combine to make a balanced cup.

Roasting notes: ASD processed coffees have more fruit intensity and light treatment will preserve fruity flavors so we recommend pulling the roast before second crack. If your roaster has the ability, extend the development time for about 1 1/2 minutes but pull before second crack should you hear the first sound. Natural coffees proceed through the roasting cycle more quickly. They also have more chaff.