La Chumeca

Over the past few years, we at The Well have been seeking out direct-trade partnerships with farmers across the globe. Many years ago, we operated like many other coffee shops. We would simply source pre-roasted beans from a reputable roaster and serve them in our cafes. There's nothing wrong with that, but in 2016 we decided to take the leap into uncharted waters when we created our Roastery. Now half a decade later we're hooked into the world of sourcing amazing coffee and finding direct-trade partners to nurture relationships for years to come.

Just before lockdown (pre-pandemic) we made a journey over to Costa Rica to meet up with many different farmers on our quest for coffee to roast. We'll talk more about this story at another date, but right now we want to highlight one specific Micromill out of Costa Rica, La Chumeca.

This farm, like so many others, is a family operation. Martin Urena has worked alongside his sons Jorge and Emilio as a coffee entrepreneur for over 56 years. According to Martin, the last 6 of those years have been enjoyable for him. Why is that? Because right now these two sons are doing things in coffee that are so innovative, it's literally kicking them out of their own co-op. The creativity of the younger coffee-growing generation is inspiring their elders. We think that's worth celebrating, so we wanted to partner with this crew.

Anaerobic Processing

So what are these guys doing that makes this coffee worth significantly more per 12 oz cup compared to other coffees here in the US? They have been experimenting with, and perfecting, slight fermentation of the coffee cherries prior to processing - known as Anaerobic Processing. Much like a beer, wine or whiskey, they're created new flavors using short-term fermentation. This strategy produces deeper, richer and stranger tasting notes than we've had in coffee before. Our first Chumeca tasted like a bottle of Merlot spilled over a blackberry cobbler.

This year we have a brand new lot of La Chumeca. This one tastes of Lemon, Pomegranate, and Butterscotch, which is a refreshing change from some of the other coffees we've had lately. We think it's outstanding and apparently so do you - this coffee is easily one of our most popular choices we've ever served.

Right now is a really good time to be trying some new coffees at The Well. We have a dream team of different coffee options from espresso, cold brew and pour-over options. We encourage you to venture outside of your comfort zone and try a few. We can whole-heartedly recommend trying out our new La Chumeca. It's a wonderful ride for your tastebuds.

Coffee is from Someone,

Michael