Costa Rica Chirripo Black Honey - Finca El Mango

Beneath Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica's highest peak, the Rivas district of Perez Zeledon climbs into cool, mineral-rich slopes. Here, on the eight hectares of Finca El Mango, the Urena Rojas family grows coffee that carries the weight of that high country in every cup.

OriginCosta Rica RegionChirripo, Rivas (Brunca) Elevation1,350-1,875 masl ProcessBlack Honey VarietyCaturra, Catuai The Source

Finca El Mango and the Chirripo Slopes

Costa Rica built its reputation on clean, balanced coffees, and the Chirripo micro-region sits near the top of that tradition. Tucked into the Brunca growing zone of southern Costa Rica, these farms benefit from volcanic soils, steady rainfall, and the cool nights that come with serious altitude. Finca El Mango sits in the Rivas district of Perez Zeledon, where the land rises sharply toward the slopes of Cerro Chirripo and coffee ripens slowly enough to build real concentration of sugars.

The Urena Rojas family farms here and delivers their cherry to Cafe Rivense del Chirripo, the micromill that Regulo Urena and Isabel Rojas established in 2005 to process the district's small lots with care. That focus has paid off for the wider community, a Rivense microlot placed fifth in the 2019 Cup of Excellence, the first coffee from the Brunca region to crack the national top ten. Growing at these elevations is what gives the cup its density and its bright, defined character.

The Craft

Two Weeks Under the Mucilage

Costa Rica's honey processes were born of necessity. After earthquakes disrupted water supplies in 2008, producers looked to Brazil's pulped natural method and built a more water-efficient family of techniques. Black honey is the most demanding of them. The cherry is pulped but most of the sticky mucilage stays on the bean, then dries slowly on patios and raised beds for up to two weeks. Kept the most sheltered from direct light during drying, the beans take on a deep amber hue and the dense, syrupy sweetness that gives the style its name. You can read more about how processing shapes flavor in our guide to washed and natural methods.

That extended contact with the fruit sugars asks for a roast that protects the sweetness rather than burning it off. We roast this lot to City+, a medium-light level that holds the caramelized honey character while letting the berry notes stay clear and lifted. It is roasted to highlight the fruit, never pushed toward smoke.

Blackberry Toffee Honey Brown Sugar BodyFull AcidityBalanced The Cup

Fruit-Forward and Round

This is a coffee that leads with sweetness. The first sip brings toffee and brown sugar wrapped around a syrupy, full body, then ripe blackberry emerges as the cup opens up. Acidity stays balanced and gentle, more of a soft brightness than a sharp snap, which keeps the focus on the honeyed fruit. It finishes long and clean, with a lingering caramel sweetness that makes it an easy coffee to keep drinking.

Find Your Fix

The full body and rounded sweetness shine through a Chemex or V60, where a slower pour pulls out the honeyed clarity. Drip and Aeropress reward it with a thicker, dessert-like cup, and it stands up beautifully as a cold brew. Browse the full lineup of coffee beans and find your fix.

Roasted in small batches at our Virginia Beach roastery.

Packaged in reusable glass mason jars, returned locally for reuse. Solar-roasted.

Virginia Beach, VA