La Isla is owned by Luis Jiménez Padilla, he purchased the farm and wet mill in 2017, in Naranjo, the same city where his Grandfather purchased his first coffee farm back in 1930. La Isla is 11 hectares and is named after the mountain on which it is located. The name means ‘The Island’ and was dubbed that due to its location between two rivers, additionally it is known for being somewhat of a fertile haven for coffee growing.
The farm is set up in an interesting way, separated out into small plots each focusing on a single varietal, this particular lot is SL-28, or Scott Laboratories 28, a varietal from Kenya that is these days synonymous with Kenyan coffee and known for it’s blackcurrant flavour profile. Tasting the transplanted varietal from Costa Rica is really interesting as you get to see how different the same crop is when grown in different places. Much the same as tasting wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grown in France or New Zealand, the taste is very different and the proof is in the glass or in this case cup as to the effect of climate, soil, and other environmental factors.
Seasonal buying is about seeing coffee as a crop not a commodity, buying in harmony with the growing seasons to enjoy coffee at its best. This kind of buying has always been the backbone of our business and it’s something we’ve improved and refined every year.
