Behind our new batch of blueberry anaerobic

The best part of our job by far is visiting coffee-producing countries and meeting the often-overlooked people behind our morning cup of coffee. This year, we had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica, a pioneer in innovative and specialized coffee processing techniques. Our mission: to cultivate long-term, close relationships with producers and discover the finest coffees for you. From farm to farm, from family to family, we have unforgettable encounters with generous and welcoming producers. We also have the privilege of working alongside them and contributing to the development of new ideas to elevate the taste of coffee to a unique and distinguished level.

“It’s been seven years since I first set foot on a coffee plantation. It was a pivotal moment for me. Since then, my goal has been to learn as much as possible about the world of coffee. So I started my journey by becoming a barista, then a roaster, and finally a manager. My greatest desire was to return to the source to develop direct relationships with the producers. And boom! Here we are, seven years later, in Costa Rica, visiting several incredible plantations to discover exceptional coffees.”

• Dominic Lyster, manager and roaster at Brûleries Faro

When our team arrived at La Candelilla, we had the pleasure of meeting Ricardo Sanchez, a young producer and owner of the La Candelilla farm. We immediately sensed his open-mindedness towards our rather unconventional proposal. He wanted to create a product that broke new ground, a product that would bridge Quebec and Costa Rica. We brought him blueberries from Quebec, and what he produced was truly magical. We blended this distinctive fruit from our corner of the world with his exceptional coffee using anaerobic fermentation, which occurs in a container with little or no oxygen. We knew this wasn't his first foray into anaerobic fermentation; he had previously impressed us with his coffee beans fermented with passion fruit.

The appeal of the anaerobic process, along with the addition of a touch of our own, is what inspired us to embark on this project, and the result has far exceeded our expectations. This coffee is the culmination of a collaboration spanning several years, and we hope that upon tasting it, you will discover aromas that will, in turn, transport you with us.

"An anaerobic exercise with blueberries?" you might say... well, why not! We wanted to experiment, try new things, and push the boundaries, all to offer you a unique product.

The world of coffee, though it has a long history, is still ripe for exploration. I feel like we're only scratching the surface. So, with all the passion that drives us, we'll continue our journey and discover, with you, everything that "good coffee" truly means. The adventure has only just begun.

About La Candelilla

La Candelilla was one of the first micromills in Tarrazu, opening in 2000. It is jointly owned by seven small producers from the Tarrazu region: the farmers who use it and deliver their harvests to the mill share ownership. The blueberry anaerobic fermentation process originated with one of these founders, Ricardo Sanchez, who was one of the first to suggest to his fellow farmers that they launch the "mini beneficio" (mini-mill).

Ricardo has been growing coffee for 32 years and is dedicated to processing coffee beans, just like many producers in La Candelilla. Ricardo also worked for 10 years as a consultant for beneficios in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and even Tanzania, helping mills improve their processing methods and learn more about coffee quality.

Ricardo has been studying specialty coffee production and processing for over 15 years, developing processes and identifying different varieties for special batches. He cultivates several different varieties and processes them in various ways, including Natural Gesha. His trees grow in a rich ultisol, a type of red clay soil particularly fertile in humid tropical or subtropical regions. This soil composition contains neither calcium carbonate nor lime. Once the ripe cherry is brought to the mill, it is processed according to the desired profile and the weather conditions.