FILTER - Costa Rica - Don Sabino Micromill - Finca El Apóstol - Pacamara - Natural Microlot

Don Sabino Micromill is a father-son project that produces meticulous coffees in what seems like "simple" conditions but with incredible care and attention to detail.

Though the mill was established in 2011, Steven Vargas and his father have both been in coffee their whole lives. They own several plots of farmland in the area, where they grow a number of different varieties: Villa Sarchi is their primary crop, but they also grow Catuai, Caturra, Gesha, SL-28, and a small amount of Mokka. For several of the mill's early years, the Vargas drying beds were full of only Naturals. But lately, Steven is attempting a small amount of Honey coffee as well, “because Luis likes it,” he says of Luis Arocha, the senior green-coffee buyer for Oxcart Coffee: Cafe Imports Latin America, who is based out of the office in San José.

Microlots from Costa Rica are typically sourced from producers who have invested not only in growing their farms, but also in building and operating their own processing facilities, typically called "micromills." Micromills typically yield fewer than 1,000 bags annually, and are often independently owned by a family or small group of producers. Microlots in Costa Rica are separated out based on differentiated characterizations such as processing, variety, or some other aspect. Microlots carry the highest quality as well as the highest level of traceability.