Tarrazu, Costa Rica, is a region known for its high altitudes and superb quality coffee. La Playa means ‘beach’ in Spanish. What’s the connection? While it may seem somewhat incongruous to conjure ocean vibes when talking about coffee production, in this case, ‘La Playa’ refers to a popular local hangout, on the shores of a nearby riverbank where families from the surrounding community spend their free time.

La Playa was conceived with the cool Costa Rican vibe in mind. Easygoing and laidback, this coffee plays out well as an accessible single-origin choice for filter and espresso.

Costa Rica coffee law – every farmer, every grower needs to sell to a mill and a mill by law needs to sell to an exporter. Small farmers such as those contributing to La Playa often only produce 10 bags of coffee a year. 

The Coffee Institute oversees every transaction and they have established how much each player can profit. About 82% (slight variations from year to year) of the FOB price goes to the producer. 

La Playa is processed at Palmichal Micromill, an important partner for many specialty coffee producers in the Palmichal, Puriscal, Tarrazu and Frailes micro-regions in Costa Rica. Located in Palmichal, Costa Rica, the micro-mill began in the 2015-2016 harvest with 30 participating farmers participating. 

The mill strives to serve farmers who grow unique coffees and quality-conscious importers & micro-roasters. They process cherry using meticulous quality-focused processing techniques. Their small-scale, artisanal model enables them to match coffees from smallholder farmers to roasters with specific quality and process requirements all while maintaining economic and physical traceability.