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Don Pepe Micromill

Tarrazú, San Jose Province, Costa Rica Several hours southwest of the capital city of San Jose, concealed in the Tarrazú region’s vast network of valleys and windmills is the Don Pepe micromill. Though the mill was founded by one Don (an honorary title in Spanish), it is operated by another. Don Cesar Ureña and his two brothers, Martin and Edgar, are currently pushing the boundaries of experimental processing and exotic variety cultivation in the remote region. The Ureñas, their children, and their infamous fleet of trucks are producing some of the finest coffees in Central America, and I was beyond fortunate to witness their ingenuity first hand. The Ureña brothers are known throughout the specialty coffee industry for their unique fleet of antique work...

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Las Lajas Project 2017

Top to bottom: Yellow Honey, Red Honey, Black Honey, and Perla Negra coffees from Las Lajas, Costa Rica. It’s that time once again! This week marks the beginning of the Las Lajas Project 2017 at Case Study Coffee.  This is our second year doing a full lineup of Las Lajas offerings and the third year we’ve worked with them.  These coffees are special to us because, besides the Chacon family's meticulous organic practices, each offering illustrates stark contrasts in flavor by manipulating processing methods in accordance with weather. Finca Las Lajas, Sabanilla de Alajuela, Costa Rica The Chacon family's farms are certified organic, as is their mill.  Beyond that, they use the unique weather patterns created by their location between...

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Los Congos Coffee Tasting and Cocktail Mixer: A Case Study in Coffee Varietals and Processing

Written by Christine Herman Next Wednesday, May 4th, at 6:30PM, we are hosting a free coffee tasting and cocktail mixer open to the public at our Alberta Street location.  The event will focus on coffees from Finca Los Congos, Nicaragua; a farm that we have fostered a direct partnership with since 2014. We invite you to come taste coffee, drink delicious coffee-inspired cocktails, hang out with the Case Study Crew, and talk coffee. Wes and Christine with Rina Paguaga of Finca Los Congos The evening will feature a blind tasting of coffees from Los Congos that differ in either variety or processing method, both of which lead to vast differences in flavor, while still allowing the coffees to show their common terroir...

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Los Congos: Relationship Coffee from a Barista's Perspective

Written by Dylan McClain The first time I worked with coffee from Los Congos, Nicaragua was in preparation for a small event I was holding at our Alberta Street café.  The idea was to create a little bit of coffee theater: customers could come in for a special tasting and more in-depth information on the coffees, and I would pull a few rabbits out of my hat in the process.  I think we charged eight bucks or something like that, which bought you an aeropress flight of the Los Congos Pacamara in washed and natural form, as well a tasting of the cascara and a cold brew of the coffees.  I also used the Los Congos in an ice-cold glass...

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Announcing the Las Lajas Project Celebration

Written by Dylan McClain The other day somebody asked me, “What’s your favorite memory from working in coffee?”  Hmmm, I hadn’t really thought about it.  I’ve been in coffee quite a while, I have a lot of great memories.  Traveling to the SCAA’s annual event.  Opening day at multiple cafes.  Coffee competitions, many different ones.  Gosh, there are so many great events I could point to, although some of my best memories are just getting together with friends and drinking coffee. When I think of all those memories, there is one common element: celebration.  Whether on a large stage or with a small group, my most valuable coffee memories are about getting together and celebrating coffee. So, I’ve got a...

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