STORY
The Valverde family began their coffee journey in 2000 with a one-hectare farm in the lush valley of Santa María de Dota, located in Costa Rica’s renowned Tarrazú region. Initially, they sold their harvest as coffee cherries to Coopedota, a local cooperative, where the coffee was blended with lots from other producers throughout the region. Over the years, declining coffee prices led to reduced production across Costa Rica. As a result, many younger generations have lost interest in agriculture, choosing instead to attend university, relocate to the capital city of San José, and pursue careers in corporate offices. In contrast, the Valverde family remained committed to a future in coffee. In 2016, they launched a new venture called Hermanos Valso, shifting their full focus to high-quality specialty coffee production. Ernesto José Valverde Solís, a second-generation coffee farmer, spearheaded this transition by constructing a micro-mill at their Vara Blanca farm. He also built raised drying beds, allowing the family to slowly dry coffee under both the open sun and a large solar dryer and begin producing their own Honey and Natural processed coffees. Today, Vara Blanca has expanded to seven hectares and includes newer varieties such as Catiguá and Milenio, a higher-yielding F1 hybrid. During harvest, pickers selectively harvest only the ripest cherries, sometimes making up to five passes through the same section of the farm. The family has also acquired a new farm in nearby Copey, where they have planted an additional 500 coffee trees representing a diverse range of varieties. To support continued growth, the family has constructed a dedicated warehouse for storing parchment coffee during harvest, installed a second depulper at the wet mill, and expanded their raised-bed drying capacity. This particular lot is produced using the Natural process. Rather than being fully washed, ripe coffee cherries are dried slowly on covered raised beds for several weeks and rotated regularly to ensure even drying. Once the desired moisture content is reached, the coffee is dehusked, milled, and carefully sorted. This meticulous process contributes to a sweeter, creamier cup profile with a distinctly fruit-forward character.
