Roaster's Choice - Las Lajas
Only 19 in stock
Shipping & Packaging
POSTAGE COST
For U.K. mainland we offer a Free Delivery service for all orders.
For international orders please email hello@wbroast.co.uk for a quote.
WHEN WILL MY ORDER BE DISPATCHED?
We work on all orders in the order that we receive them. Normally we dispatch parcels either the same or next working day. However during very busy periods it may take an extra day or two for your parcel to be dispatched.
Please contact hello@wbroast.co.uk for any returns. Returns can be made for any unsatisfactory products and full refund given. Please contact us within 5 business days of receiving your purchase to allows us to look into your query. We accept returns up to 30 days from delivery date.
If your order becomes damaged in transit, we ask for you to provide photo evidence so we can process the refund through Royal Mail.
Packaging:
Currently all the coffee packaging we use is 100% recyclable - label 5 and produced in the EU.
Label 5 or polypropylene (similar to yoghurt pots) is easily recyclable and widely accepted at recycling points and kerbside collections.
This packaging type keeps your coffee ultra fresh and features a resealable tag and valve.
FAQ's & Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is our coffee Organic?
All our staple coffees are 100% naturally grown, free of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. This includes Signature Gold, Rich Italian & Black Gold.
What strength is the coffee?
We advise this coffee to be a strength of 3.5 out of 5. Punchy but not over powering.
Are the beans oily?
No, these beans are not oily, if you have particularly sensitive machine/equipment, these beans should be perfect.
Where to store the coffee?
We recommend storing the coffee in a cool, dark, dry cupboard, before you open them. Once opened, reseal the bag and they can be safely stored in the packaging, and we recommend to consume them within 4 weeks of opening.
How many coffees do the bags serve?
250g - serves 13-15 coffees. 500g - serves 26-30 coffees. 1kg - serves 55-65 coffees. We recommend one kilo bag to serve 2 coffees a day, to last a month.
What's the best before date?
All our coffees are roasted to order, meaning they couldn't be fresher. We advise a best before date of 6 months from the order date.
Espresso Brew Guide
Brewing espresso is a lot like brewing tea; if we leave our bag in too long we risk over-brewing the tea and extracting “stewed” bitter flavours from the leaves but if we do not leave it long enough our tea risks being weak and insipid. This means we must exert control over our brewing process to ensure that we extract all of the desirable flavour compounds whilst leaving behind the compounds responsible for unwelcome bitterness and astringency. This is easy with a teabag – we can take it out whenever we choose – but achieving the same control with espresso is slightly more complex.
Coffee does not extract homogenously during its brewing cycle. Most extraction occurs during the first third of its brew time. Typically fruit acids and bean fragments that contribute towards body extract first, followed by sugars, and then bitter compounds.
‘DIALLING IN’ OUR ESPRESSO
Understanding your grinder is the key to achieving desirable DOSE and BREW TIME. Whether you are using a modern “on-demand” grinder or a more traditional “dosing grinder” you should be able to control both DOSE and GRIND TEXTURE, both of which are critical to brewing balanced espresso. Here’s how...
Using scales, weigh a consistent dose of ground coffee into your double espresso basket -16g - 18g is a sensible choice for most espresso machines.
Aim for 36-40g of liquid espresso or roughly a ratio of 1:2 (18g of ground espresso to 36g of liquid espresso).
Is it within your target brew time window? We recommend 20 - 30 Seconds.
Yes = SUCCESS!
Your espresso is probably well brewed and should taste full, sweet and balanced.
No = If you haven't extracted 30-40ml of liquid espresso, in 20-30 seconds, your grind is too FINE and your espresso will most likely taste thin, bitter & ashy.
Coarsen your grind slightly then grind and discard at least 20g of coffee to remove traces of the previous grind setting
No = If you have extracted too much liquid espresso (over 30ml for single espresso, over 60ml for double). Your grind is too COARSE and your espresso will most likely be weak and sour.
Make your grind slightly FINER then grind and discard at least 20g of coffee to remove all traces of the previous grind setting
- Hand-Roasted to order in our Great Taste Award Winning roastery for maximum freshness.
- 100% Arabica, speciality grade, taste the difference coffee beans.
- Safely packaged in compostable & resealable bags to keep your coffee fresh.
- Easy to brew, roasted to produce consistent tasting coffee.
What YOU need to know:
- Delicious notes of chocolate, caramel waffle & marshmallow. Low soft apple acidity, creamy body.
- Rich, smooth, well-rounded medium roast.
- Acidity - Soft apple.
- Body - Medium.
- Stays fresh for up to 6 months unopened. Once opened up to 6 weeks.
What’s all the fuss about:
Region - Las Lajas, Costa Rica
Growing Altitude - 1700 metres above sea level.
Variety - Milenio
Milling Process - Honey
Aroma - Sweet
Flavour - Chocolate, caramel waffle & marshmallow
SCA Score - 87 - independently rated excellent
The producer is Oscar Chacón Solano and the farm is named Las Lajas. In 1988, following the death of Oscar Chacón's father, his legacy of 50 hectares of land was left to his six children. From that point on, the Chacón siblings decided to change their coffee production system, focusing their efforts on environmental conservation, providing stable employment for their workers, and keeping coffee culture alive in their family and community.
In the early 2000s, Oscar Chacón and Francisca Cubillo, representing the third generation of coffee producers in their family, decided to process the coffee from their own farms, giving rise to the Las Lajas Ecological Benefit. During these early years, Oscar and Francisca were in pursuit of excellence, as well as offering a differentiated product within the coffee market.
The farm is located in Sabanilla de Alajuela, Costa Rica. The exact Google Maps address is 3QJG+QX5, 130, Province of Alajuela, Sabanilla.
All the coffee processed by Las Lajas is produced by the Chacón family. The farm spands 50 hectares and the average yield is 30 fanegas (Spanish unit of capacity) per hectare (1 fanegas roughly 64 kilos). The farm is situated at an altitude range of 1500 to 1700 meters above sea level. The majority of crops grown are caturra-catuaí, but over the last 5 years, they have started a renovation process, diversifying the variety of crops on the farm. The farm's soil originates from volcanic activity. The harvesting period starts in December and ends in February.
Various tree species are used, predominantly legumes that help absorb atmospheric nitrogen and transfer it to the soil. Also, native trees from the area, such as bananas, plantains, and oranges, are used for family consumption. Their main fertilizer is a compost-like organic fertilizer, using the pulp from the coffee processing and other waste from nearby mills to create their natural fertilizer. This is further supplemented with liming amendments and minerals like naturally occuring K-Mag (potassium, magnesium, and sulfur). They have a 20% yearly renewal system, which includes pruning and replanting worn-out lots. The farm is continuously engaged in an agroecological process with the planting of shade trees. They currently have an average density of 50 trees per hectare.
The coffee cherries are harvested by hand, with a careful selection of 100% ripe beans that contain a high degree of brix (sugar content). This activity is carried out daily from December until the end of February. In addition, lots are separated by variety and farms at the mill, allowing the production of specialty micro lots.
At Las Lajas, they harvest and process their own coffee to achieve a high cup quality. Initially, during the harvesting process, they select the 100% ripe beans that have a high percentage of brix. Then, the coffee is transported from the farm to the Las Lajas mill, where it is measured by volume to verify the amount of coffee harvested in a day. Once measured, it is separated into micro lots for processing.
Coffee is pulped and left with 100% of the mucilage. Immediately it is transferred to an anaerobic fermentation tank, where it will rest for about 84 hours. After the fermentation period, the coffee is moved to raised beds for dehydration for a period of 15 to 20 days to finish the drying process.
