Ivan Solis • La Aurora Catuai Candy Natural

Recommended Roast Level

City (Light)

Tasting Notes

Strawberry Jam - Punchy red fruits shined in this cup with distinctly sweet notes. Strawberry jam ties in the ideas of sugary sweet alongside fruity notes.

Blood Orange - We noticed a rich citric acidity without it overpowering the cup. The distinctly not-sour citrus tang of blood orange we felt was a helpful note for this descriptor.

Cacao Nibs - Cocoa also came forward  in this coffee, but it a more nuanced and complex way than some more traditionally processed Costa Rican coffees. Cacao has that unique “almost fruity” taste to it that we thought was a helpful way to implicitly portray this idea.

Ivan Solis's Coffee Production

Ivan is one of the most innovative coffee producers in Costa Rica right now. Drawing from his decades of experience in coffee production, as well as his knowledge as a certified Q-grader, Ivan is constantly looking for new and exciting places to take his coffee. And, because he operates his own wet and dry mill in-house, he is able to have total control over producing the best product possible from beginning to end. 

We got to see this first-hand when we visited him in Costa Rica recently. In addition to being one of the cleanest operations we’ve seen, we got to drive up into the mountains to see one of his farms, meet some of his pickers with their kids, and cup coffees with him. It was impressive. No less impressive was Ivan himself who, despite winning Costa Rica’s Cup of Excellence last year, was humble, always seeking ways to improve and make his coffee better. 

But none of that was the highlight of the trip. The week before we visited Ivan, I had given a bag of his coffee to one of our exporters in Guatemala, who cupped it shortly after we left. While I was with Ivan, they sent a note telling me that his coffee was so good–stunning even. Sharing that feedback with Ivan was such a special moment. 

What Ivan is doing in Costa Rica is unique to him–he’s even coined a name for a new processing method, the ‘candy natural’--which makes us all the more excited to share what he’s doing with the rest of the world.

What is the Candy Natural Process?

This is a naturally dried process with an extra kick to it. After the cherries are collected and delivered to the Santa Fe Mill they are placed in plastic bags with a fermentation period in mind. The juices created as a by-product by the rested aka “reposado” cherries accumulate in the bag and intensify the fermentation. This coffee juice is called, “Mosto”. The coffee cherries are left in the sealed plastic bags with the Mosto for 3 or 4 days. Once the fruit has reached the correct level of fermentation it is put out to dry on perforated raised beds. While the fruit is being sun dried, Ivan’s son and the team move the coffee every hour or so for 25-30 days.

Highlights