Costa Rica – Las Lajas, Black Diamond Honey

Bean Basics

About the Producer

Oscar and Francisca Chacón are third-generation coffee producers, but the coffee is more than just in their family heritage: It’s in their hearts and souls as well. The couple is committed to quality and innovation, and are among the very first farmers in Costa Rica to produce Honey and Natural process specialty coffee.

Since 2018, they’ve been experimenting with a Honey-style process they are calling Diamond: The couple produces Yellow and Black Diamond lots. What makes the Diamonds different is that the drying requires closer attention than the other Honeys, as Oscar and Francisca want the temperature to stay very low throughout. First, the coffee is pre-dried on raised beds for one day, then moved to the drying patio where it is closely monitored for the duration. The Yellow Diamond takes 15–22 days to dry, and the Black Diamond a few days longer.