Aspen Coffee Co

Costa Rica Higuito

This lot is a small experimental lot from Fátima micromill in Los Santos, Costa Rica, processed using an anaerobic dry method that produces one of the more intense and distinctive cups in our lineup. Boozy, fruit-forward, and bittersweet, with a thick body and a finish that keeps developing as it cools. Roasted on the lighter side of medium to keep the fermented fruit character and natural sweetness from the dry process front and center. Not a subtle coffee, but a rewarding one.

$16

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Why this coffee

The story behind the cup.

Overview

Costa Rica Higuito

Aspen Coffee Co

Overview

Costa Rica Higuito

Aspen Coffee Co

01 / Overview

Costa Rica Higuito

This lot is an anaerobic dry process coffee from a small experimental lot at Fátima micromill in Los Santos, Costa Rica. Grown at 1,650 masl and planted in Bourbon variety, this is not a subtle cup. It leads with intense fermented fruit, boozy aromatics, and a bittersweet backbone that deepens as it cools. The fragrance alone is striking, rustic sugars, dried fruit, and a hint of fermented orange that signals what's coming. In the cup, expect honey mead sweetness, dark cocoa, burnt sugar, and a tangy lemoncello note that cuts through the richness with a welcome acidic lift. As the coffee cools, Port-like dessert wine flavors develop in the finish alongside soft hints of tobacco and spice. It's complex and a little wild in the best way, the kind of coffee that rewards slow sipping and keeps revealing something new as the temperature drops. If you're used to clean, bright Central Americans, this one will surprise you.

02 / Producer

Meet the Producer

Higuito farm is managed by Nelsyn Hernández in the Los Santos region of San José, Costa Rica. Hernández processes his coffee at his own micromill, Fátima, where he runs a range of processing methods alongside small experimental lots like this one. That kind of vertical control over every decision from harvest to dried bean is what makes a profile this distinct possible. Most producers at this scale either grow or process, but Hernández does both, which means the person making calls about fermentation time, tank conditions, and drying duration is the same person who cultivated the coffee in the first place. That direct accountability shows in the cup. Fátima has earned a reputation as a serious experimental mill, and this anaerobic dry process lot is a good example of why.

03 / Origin

Where it comes from

Costa Rica has long been one of the most consistent and reliable origins in Central America. Strict national quality standards, well-developed milling infrastructure, and a culture of smallholder craftsmanship have made it a benchmark origin for decades. Los Santos, situated in the mountains south of San José, is one of the country's most respected growing zones. Cool temperatures, reliable rainfall, and high-altitude farms in the 1,500 to 1,800 meter range produce coffee with excellent density and well-developed sweetness. Historically, Costa Rica built its reputation on clean, bright washed coffees, and that foundation of quality raw material is still very much present here. What's shifted in recent years is the growing curiosity around experimental processing. Producers like Hernández are pushing beyond the traditional profile that defined the origin for generations, and the results, when the underlying coffee is this good to begin with, are something genuinely exciting.

04 / Process

How it was processed

This is an anaerobic dry process coffee, which combines two distinct processing approaches into one. It starts with anaerobic fermentation: freshly harvested whole cherries are sealed in airtight tanks with no oxygen for roughly two to three days. In that oxygen-deprived environment, the sugars in the fruit break down differently than they would in open-air fermentation, producing the concentrated, boozy, fruit-forward flavor compounds this style is known for. The length and temperature of that fermentation window has a significant influence on the final cup, and managing it well requires close attention. After fermentation, the cherries go straight to raised beds to dry in the sun, intact, for several weeks until they reach a stable moisture level. The fruit continues to influence the bean throughout the entire drying period, layering in sweetness and intensity as it slowly desiccates around the seed. The result is a cup that carries the full weight of both processes, fermented fruit character and the dense, syrupy sweetness of a natural, combined into something layered and complex.

05 / Roast

How we roast it

We keep this one on the lighter side of medium, where the fermented fruit character and the natural sweetness from the dry process stay most intact. Roasting lighter with a coffee this expressive is a deliberate choice: it keeps the complexity the processing built in from getting buried under roast-driven flavors. The result is a cup that feels layered and evolving rather than one-dimensional, with a thick, juicy body that carries the profile well from first sip to the finish. This is a coffee worth giving a little time in the cup. It opens up as it cools and the finish lingers in a way that's worth paying attention to.