Central American Coffee Region - Costa Rica Las Lajas Estate SL28 Grape Dry Natural Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee - Costa Rica Las Lajas Estate SL28 Raisin Natural Introduction

Francisca and Oscar Chacón are the third generation to run Las Lajas, located at the foot of Poás Volcano in Sabanilla de Alajuela, in Costa Rica's Central Valley. The Chacón family has grown coffee for more than 80 years, since their grandfather's day. In 1995, Oscar's father died of cancer. The family suspected the chemical fertilizers and pesticides used on the farm were to blame, so they stopped using toxic chemicals entirely and required every process to follow organic standards of cultivation and fertilization. They make their own organic compost and extend organic principles to soil management, shade trees, and the washing mill itself — environmentally friendly farming under the shade of native trees.

After five years of organic cultivation, once analyses of the soil, branches, leaves, and fruit had all come back clean, Las Lajas became the first estate in Costa Rica to earn organic certification, in 2000. Today the estate holds Japan's JAS certification along with the US USDA and NOP organic certifications. With certification in hand, the Chacóns went a step further and built their own processing plant. Previously they had to send their cherries to large commercial mills with no control over what happened after delivery; having their own mill to process their coffee has significantly raised overall quality.

Innovative Natural Processing: Raisin Natural

Combining the Black Pearl and Black Soul methods, the entire process is shade-dried for roughly three weeks or more. The cherries are first spread flat on the cement floor inside a greenhouse, piled into mounds in the afternoon, covered with plastic sheeting for shade, and spread flat again the next morning. After about one to two weeks, they move to African drying racks under the greenhouse to finish in the shade. There are two sets of three-tier African racks, and the lots change position daily in an up-down-left-right rotation to ensure even drying until processing is complete. This longer fermentation period greatly enhances the coffee's sweetness and flavor complexity.

Costa Rica Las Lajas Estate SL28 Raisin Natural

Region: Central Valley

Altitude: 1,300-1,500 meters

Variety: SL28

Soil Type: Volcanic soil

Grade Standard: SHB

Processing Method: Raisin Natural Processing

Harvesting Method: Hand-picked

Certifications: JAS, NOP, USDA

Estate Established: 1840

Cultivation Area: N/A

Estate Size: 38 hectares

Average Temperature/Rainfall: 20°C/2,500-2,700mm

Dry Aroma: Walnut, cream, blueberry

Wet Aroma: Wine, blackcurrant

Tasting Notes: Ripe grapes, plum, lychee, caramel

Knowledge Point: In 1729, coffee trees were transplanted from Cuba to Costa Rica, opening the chapter of Arabica cultivation in that country.

Brief Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee. We also hold three discounted coffee events every month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide the best coffee to more friends at the lowest possible price. That has been our mission for the past six years!

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Natural processing is the oldest — and today the most widespread — way to prepare coffee: ripe cherries dry whole in the sun until their moisture hits target, then are hulled. Because the fruit stays intact through drying, natural coffees carry higher body and richer ripe-fruit tones. If Las Lajas' Raisin Natural has caught your eye, two FrontStreet naturals are well worth tasting:

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Hongguo (Flower Queen) Natural: From the Hambella area of Guji, where high altitude, superb terroir, and meticulously sorted ripe cherries meet Sidamo's signature natural processing. Roasted medium-light, it opens with a faint fermented fragrance, florals, citrus, and mango — a noticeably denser, more complex cup — with honeyed sweetness, cocoa, a touch of spice, full body, and a lasting finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry: Natural processing demands a run of clear, sunny days — typically 27-30 days of drying. Only fully ripe, all-red cherries are selected, then spread on raised beds well off the ground to protect the fruit from insects, dust, and bacteria, turned regularly for even drying. Medium-light roasted, it keeps its elegant florals and bright acidity while adding pronounced tropical fruit, a full fermentation character, and rich sweetness — the same spirit of patient, fruit-forward drying that makes the Las Lajas lot special.