TECHNICAL DETAILS
Origin: Costa Rica, San Marcos, Tarrazú (exactly here)
Process: Double Wash
Altitude: 2000 meters above sea level
Varietal: Catuaí
Producer: Carlos Montero
Harvest: 2024
Tasting Notes: Orange, honey, chocolate
WHY WE LIKE IT
When we first tasted this Costa Rican coffee, we were blown away by its sweet and fruity profile. It surprises with an intense orange note, a smooth honey-like texture, and a chocolate sweetness. The finish reminds us of an orange caramel: smooth acidity, juicy, and sweet. Anfiteatro is a delicious and complete coffee—its fruity notes stand out when enjoyed on its own, and with milk, it becomes a dessert-like orange treat.
RECIPE
For espresso:
We use 17 grams of ground coffee to obtain 45 grams of final beverage in 29 seconds.
VARIABLES TO CONSIDER: Rest: 2 weeks (15-20 days)
Temperature: 92.5ºC
LaMarzocco Linea Classic
Grinder: Mahlkonig E68S
Portafilters: VST 17g
Water: Pentair Everpure 70ppm
Pressure: 7 bars
For filter:
- Use 20 grams of ground coffee and 320 grams of final water at 93ºC. Perform three pours. The first pour is 50 grams, wait 30 seconds, and then perform two pours of 135 grams each, completing the extraction in a total time of 3.5 minutes.
Variables to consider:
- Method: V60
- Grinder: EK43
- Water: 70 ppm
HISTORY
The Montero family has been visionary, pioneering, and driving the micromill revolution in Tarrazú, Costa Rica. Carlos Montero has been growing coffee his whole life, coming from a long lineage of farmers. He had the vision to process the fruit from his own coffee and work more directly with consumers, building Don Eli (named after his father) in 2014. Carlos also played a key role in encouraging many other farmers in the Tarrazú region to do the same, building direct relationships with roasters. Over the years, Jacob has taken over the wet mill process and perfected his passion for fruit processing. This year, they added a small dry mill to prepare parchment for export. They are always expanding their knowledge, improving quality, and strengthening direct relationships.
Anfiteatro takes its name from the natural shape of the land, which resembles the seating of a theater. As you enter the prestigious world of Finca La Pastora, internationally recognized and managed by the Montero family, Anfiteatro rises majestically above San Marcos de Tarrazú. In its early days, Carlos grew apple trees on these lands, and the terraces created for them have been key to the success of the coffee trees, allowing them to thrive in this unique environment. This agricultural legacy has led to the neighboring lot, known as Manzanal. The extraordinary altitude and soil fertility have been crucial in producing high-quality coffee, although recent climate changes have made coffee farming increasingly challenging and unpredictable.
VARIETY AND PROCESS
The varietal of this coffee is Catuaí.
The processing method is double washed. The coffee is transported from the farm to the reception tank, where the cherries are allowed to rest for about 12 hours. Then, the cherries are depulped like in a honey process. Jacob keeps the coffee in a fermentation tank for 30 hours with water. After this, he washes the coffee several times until the mucilage is removed and then leaves the beans in water for another 12 hours. Jacob dries the coffee on raised beds in the shade for 5 days to protect the beans inside the parchment. After these 5 days, the coffee is moved to direct sunlight to dry until it reaches a moisture content of 10.5%.
