Hacienda La Minita

"I have been drinking La Minita coffee for decades now, and it remains my overall favorite."

One of our longest farmer relationships, and also one of our longest personal relationships too, is with Bill and his La Minita coffee from Costa Rica. A Texas native who relocated to Costa Rica in his childhood, in the mid-1980s Bill shipped a crate of his Costa Rican coffee to New York City where he rented a U-Haul and drove around the country, selling it from shop to shop. Boston Stoker founder, Don Dean bought a bag from him, which Bill in turn went out to the U-Haul to get. 

Since day one Bill has been dedicated to making the perfect cup of coffee – a good everyday cup, very balanced and reliable in its consistency. To accomplish this, he takes beans from separate areas from his farm, separated by taste influenced by microclimates. Only 20% of the coffee grown ends up going into La Minita with the other 80% blended for use in other coffees. This sorting is done by hand where sorters scan every bean looking for discoloration or damaged beans. A top sorter can evaluate up to 50 pounds of coffee beans a day!

La Minita is located off of the main road in Boosta Manti, on the side of a mountain at the banks of the Tarrazu River. Full-time employees stay on the farm, generally with their whole family, which Bill houses and offers regular healthcare and a number of other benefits, including an annual celebratory trip after the harvest to a tax-free area of the country.