Finca El Gato
Besides having an excellent flavor, the El Gato coffee from Jim Stewart’s small coffee farm also has an interesting backstory. Jim’s 30-acre farm on the Poas volcano in Costa Rica was the first OCIA certified organic farm in Costa Rica. These days, according to Jim, the place is “beyond organic,” what he calls “wild harvest.” With just 2 additional workers, Jim prunes from time to time, controls weeds with machetes, and selectively picks the ripe cherries. Every batch is floated twice, once before and once after pulping, to eliminate any defective beans. After being washed, sun dried and aged for 60+ days, the parchment is removed.