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Roaster’s notes: Another smooth fruity favorite for the win!
The beans: In the Dominican Republic, the family-owned Ramirez Estate run by the third generation employs over 400 workers who live and work on the property and make nearly 300% higher wages than Fair Trade Standard. Before the Ramirez family purchased the land in the early 1990s, the land was impotent and bare––natural water springs had long since dried up and farmers had only been raising cattle.
Today, the Ramirez Estate is one of the most environmentally-progressive and socially-conscious proprietorships in the world because they recycle materials used during coffee bean processing. First, coffee cherry parts that would normally be thrown out are converted into natural gas through fermentation––in turn, this natural gas powers their facility. Next, the used water is also recycled, filtered, and returned to water systems. Lastly, cherry pulps are added to a compost pile where they’re used as fertilizer useful to nearby farms.
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Region: Jarabacoa
Altitude: 1,400 meters
Process: Honey
Variety: Red Caturra
Honey Process: This coffee bean is red honey-processed and grown in the Dominican Republic’s Jarabacoa region at 1,400 meters above sea level––its variety is caturra. As a honey-processed bean, the skins of the fruit are removed, but the pulp, or mucilage, remains on the bean during fermentation––this leaves a sticky-sweet sensation and fruity notes. The longer the mucilage remains on the bean, the longer the fermentation––thus the darker the honey process and the sweeter the cup.
