November Explorer Series — San Roque Natural

What We Taste: Ripe Plum, Tamarind, Maple Syrup, Cola, Sweet Florals, with silky viscosity.

High in the mountains of Tarrazú, Costa Rica, Juan Ramon Alvarado grows San Roque, a rare Costa Rican take on Kenya’s legendary SL-28. Coffee nerd stuff aside, here’s what matters: it makes one hell of a cup.

This natural-process lot is juicy without getting funky. Ripe plum and tamarind hit first, then maple sweetness, cola-like depth, warm spice, and soft florals roll in behind them. Clean, bright, and silky on the palate, with a syrupy viscosity that just hangs on.

It’s sweet, a little weird, and ridiculously drinkable. The kind of coffee that keeps changing as it cools and keeps pulling you back for one more sip.

• Origin: San Cristóbal, Desamparados, Costa Rica
• Farm: Montano
• Producers: Juan Ramon Alvarado
• Variety: San Roque
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 1,800 Meters