COSTA RICA, Alejo Khale Castro, Volcancito, Valle Centrale

Producer: Alejo Castro-Kahle. 

Growing altitude: 1500-1600masl. 

Botanical variety: Catuaí, Caturra.

Process: Washed.

Tasting notes: Milk chocolate, toffee, vanilla, red berries, coconut, blood orange flavours.

Roast date: 6 November, 2024

A family-run coffee farm operated by Alejo Castro Kahle and his father Fernando Castro Jiménez and mother Vivian Kahle. Both sides of the family have worked in the coffee industry in Costa Rica since the 19th century, and have run the Volcan Azul micro-mill together for 15 years.

The family produce some of the purest coffees of the world under its brand “F.C.J. Volcán Azul” on the slopes of the Poás Volcano in Costa Rica. Today, the production process starts with the planting of the coffee trees on highly fertile volcanic soil above 1500 meters above sea level (SHB). It continues with a meticulous process at the coffee mill, and finally ends with the strict preparation of the export quality beans.

Currently, the descendants of Don Alejo C. and Don Wilhelm want to further enhance the principles of quality inherited by our founders by adding the value of conservancy of natural resources, through the acquisition of extensions of natural rainforest for its protection and conservation. These facts, are small actions taken by one family to reduce air contamination and global warming. "This is the contribution we want to make to mankind, this is the new awareness we want our future generations to inherit".

For the family, conservation of natural resources is of prime value, which is why they are committed to protecting vast extensions of tropical rainforest since the 80’s." Working as a team, the two families have acquired over 1,500 hectares of rainforest for ecological preservation in areas where they grow their coffee as well as in the Osa Peninsula, a region in the South of Costa Rica known for holding 2.5% of the Earth’s Biodiversity.

We are proud to work with this environmentally conscious family who is contributing to reducing the effects of global warming.