Eddy Ramirez, Red Honey Caturra

In 2021 we met Joey Stazzone of Cafe Kreyol, the importer/exporter for this coffee, at a coffee summit where he was presenting a study on the importance of resting coffee before sampling. His point with the study was that resting coffee samples before cupping resulted in higher cupping scores, and higher scores should result in higher prices paid to farmers. This mindset and passion for farmers is what drew us to Joey and a few months later we started conversations that resulted in purchasing this coffee. Joey has been working with the Ramirez Estate since 2014. He notes the incredible progress the farm has made toward higher quality offerings. We’re super excited about this new partnership, and plan to keep it intact for years to come. The farm itself is extraordinarily socially conscious, to the extent that they use fermented coffee cherry skins and pulp to create natural gas to help power their operation. This coffee is produced using a 24-hour fermentation, allowing enzymes to break down the coffee cherry mucilage before being dried. The sweetness is off the charts, with a mellow, but not absent, acidity that reminds us of baked pears and apples. There are underlying flavors of cola and sweet milk chocolate. The body is smooth and silky, with a light and clean finish that immediately sends you back for the next sip because you don’t want the flavors to end.

• COUNTRY: Dominican Republic

• REGION: Jarabacoa

• ELEVATION: 4500 ft

• PRODUCER: Eddy Ramirez

• PROCESS: Red Honey

• VARIETAL: Caturra

• This coffee is best 8-15 days after it was roasted.