Producer: Oscar and Francisca Chacón
Farm: Las Lajas
Region: Central Valley
Variety: SL28
Process: Natural Anaerobic
Altitude: 1500 masl
Harvested: 2025
Cupping notes: Sticky toffee, bubble gum, cherry blossom, rosehip
Costa Rica is a small country, but the diversity of climates found there - and their impact on coffee production - has created an industry that consistently punches above its weight. This SL28 was grown in the Central Valley, a lush and fertile region influenced by Atlantic weather patterns. It is here, in Sabanilla de Alajuela on the slopes of the Poás volcano, that Las Lajas is based.
Six farms, owned by six brothers and together comprising 73 hectares, sit between 1,450 and 1,500 masl, with the mill located slightly lower at 1,300 masl. The mill produces around 2,000 exportable bags per year and is run by Oscar Chacón and his wife Francisca, with support from their four children. The family’s approach is hands-on and quality-driven, combining deep agricultural knowledge with a constant willingness to experiment.
Although Las Lajas no longer holds official organic certification, the farms continue to operate according to organic principles. Production is chemical-free, pulp from the mill is composted and returned to the fields, and water use is kept exceptionally low - often just one cubic meter per day during processing. Sustainability here is not a marketing angle but an operational philosophy.
Innovation plays a central role at Las Lajas. Alongside traditional varieties such as Caturra and Catuai, the family grows Paraiso, Milenio, Villa Sarchi, Geisha, Pacamara, SL8 - and, in this case, SL28.
SL28 is a variety originally developed in Kenya in the 1930s and is celebrated for its structure, clarity and vibrant acidity. It is not commonly planted in Central America, which makes its presence in Costa Rica particularly interesting. In high elevations with strong diurnal shifts, SL28 can express layered fruit character, defined sweetness and remarkable balance, especially when paired with progressive processing.
Harvest runs from December to February. After picking, cherries are floated using Penagos machinery to ensure density and quality before processing begins. For this lot, the coffee undergoes natural anaerobic fermentation, where whole cherries ferment in a controlled oxygen-limited environment before drying. This approach enhances fruit depth and sweetness while maintaining structure.
Drying is managed with the same precision Las Lajas is known for. Coffees are dried on raised beds and patios, and when the cherries are moved, the crust that forms during drying is carefully flipped rather than raked into rows, a technique the family has found creates greater lot consistency.
The result is a coffee that brings together Kenyan genetics, Costa Rican terroir and the experimental mindset that defines Las Lajas - expressive, structured and unmistakably distinctive.
