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.
The Don Sabino micromill manages the farms El Apostol, El Orvo, El Llamarón, and La Roca. This particular lot was grown on ther El Orvo farm, a 10 hectare farm that the family has owned for 5 generations.
This particular lot is processed as a natural on the same day it's harvested, After harvest it's sorted for ripeness and quality, then floated in water (damaged cherries rise to the top and are removed). The cherries are then dried in their fruit for 30-40 days.
