Steven Mora

The growing region of Tarrazú, commonly referred to locally as Los Santos, is one of the most well-known growing regions in Costa Rica. Tarrazú has become so well known due to its high quality coffees and ideal weather conditions and elevation for growing this coffee. A year in Tarrazú is fairly evenly split. The region experiences a heavy rainy season that runs from about May to November. During this time, residents see about 134 inches of rain on average, leaving the coffee plants with no shortage of water. When the rainy season ends, Tarrazú moves into a dry season running from December to April. Harvesting begins around November and the producers make good use of the dry season to pick and process their coffees. In addition to these weather conditions, most of this region sits around 1,200 to 1,900 meters above sea level and most farms are shaded by native trees.

Within this region, you can find the Mora Family’s farm and micromill in the city of San Marcos. Cinco Calles was established in 1960 by Euladio Mora Valverde when he bought the land. The farm is still owned by the Mora family, and they still seek to continue improving their coffee. Today, Euladio’s grandson, Steven Mora, is in charge of operations at Cinco Calles (Spanish for Five Streets). Around 10 years ago, Euladio’s son, Abel Mora, planted on the farm’s most prized piece of land, La Karola. This area sits on the southern facing slope of La Cruz Mountain, where it receives it’s fair share of both sun and rain. La Karola, named after Abel’s daughter Karol, is believed to be in a unique microclimate and gives the coffee grown there a very distinct taste. The Las Brisas lot that this coffee comes from was completely overtaken by a landslide that was the result of a hurricane. Despite this, the Las Brisas lot, as well as Cinco Calles as a whole, have made a strong recovery in the few short years since the disaster. The family had lost all their Catuai trees and had to start from scratch by replanting the area. Out of this tragedy came the opportunity to try something new. At the time, the Obata variety was beginning to take root in Costa Rica and the Mora’s decided to take a chance and plant it at La Karola. This risk has paid off and it is because of this that Steven Mora and his family can offer such a unique and high-quality coffee. While the lot is not certified organic, the Mora’s do run it organically and do not use chemicals or pesticides on the plants. Most specialty coffee is grown organically, however, the certification process can be lengthy and expensive.

Obata is a relatively unknown variety. Originating in Brazil, this variety is a cross between a Timor hybrid and Villa Sarchi, breed by Instituto Agronômico (IAC). This variety was recently introduced into Costa Rica and has begun to take hold in the country. Obata is known for both high yields and the potential for good cup quality This variety is also very resistant to coffee leaf rust, a devasting disease that can affect coffee trees, making it popular among producers. It grows best at low and medium elevations as well, allowing for use in more places.

Farm details:

Producer: Steven Mora/Mora Family

Farm: La Karola, Cinco Calles

Region: San Marcos, Tarrazú

Country: Costa Rica

Altitude: 1700m

Process: Natural

Varietal: Obata

Flavor profile:

Aromatics: Citrus , Dark Berry jam, dried fruits, Cacao

Taste: Dark Berry, Almond, Milk Chocolate, Supple and sweet

Acidity: Medium minus, wild

Sweetness: Medium plus, roasted nuts

Body: High, smooth milky texture