Special Reserve La Linda, Coco Natural

TASTING NOTES

This coffee is a real sweet treat - leading with lemon & limeade before shifting into raspberry and strawberry candy. A little plum edge develops as it cools to remind you of the coco natural processing, but it's a very elegant version of a naturally processed coffee.

FARM INFO

La Linda is the founding farm of the Buena Vista Project and the heart of Agricafe's vision. Established in 2012, it was the first farm the Rodriguez family developed themselves and remains a vital hub for experimentation and learning. Located in Caranavi, a region known for its fertile volcanic soils and high altitudes, La Linda benefits from a lush forest microclimate that supports slow cherry maturation and complex flavour development.

Over the past 13 years, La Linda has become more than just a farm; it's a blueprint. The insights gained here have shaped Agricafe's practices across all their farms and informed the Sol De La Mañana grower support program. With varieties like Caturra, Java, SL28, and Bourbon thriving under careful management, La Linda continues to push the boundaries of Bolivian coffee.

This lot was processed using what the Rodriguez family call the "Coco Natural" method – a name they coined themselves. It's a hands-on, small-batch approach to natural processing that starts with picking only the ripest cherries, selected by colour and checked for sugar content. Pickers from the nearby Villa Rosario community make multiple passes through the farm throughout harvest, trained to select only the very ripest fruit – almost purple, according to the family. After picking, cherries are sorted by density using water, then disinfected in a high-capacity machine the team affectionately call 'La Maravilla' (Spanish for 'the wonder'). From there, they're laid out on patios to dry for 48 to 72 hours, depending on the weather. This initial stage kicks off fermentation and gives the cherries a head start before the next phase.

Then comes the bit that gives the process its name. The cherries are transferred into what the team at Buena Vista call "stationary box" dryers - large steel containers originally designed for drying cocoa pods. Warm air flows gently up from beneath the coffee bed, keeping temperatures below 40°C, while the cherries are stirred manually at regular intervals to ensure even drying. Over 40 to 50 hours, the fruit slowly dries down to a stable 11.5% humidity. As it does, it turns a deep reddish-brown – a bit like cocoa powder, which is where the "Coco" nickname comes from.

• Country: Bolivia

• Department: La Paz

• Region: Caranavi

• Farm: La Linda

• Farm size: 10.53 hectares

• Coffee production area: 3.92 hectares

• Producers: Fincas Los Rodriguez

• Altitude: 1,400–1,450 m.a.s.l.

• Processing Method: Coco Natural

• Varietal: Caturra

• GPS: 15°47'50.0"S 67°32'39.7"W

Natural-processed coffees tend toward fuller body and pronounced fruit expression, and this La Linda exemplifies that approach. Sourced from Fincas Los Rodriguez in Bolivia's Caranavi region, this Caturra spent time drying in its fruit, a natural process that builds the vibrant berry and stone fruit character evident in the cup. The roaster's tasting notes—lemon, limeade, raspberry, strawberry candy, and plum—sketch a bright, candy-forward profile that balances acidity with sweetness, characteristic of this region and altitude.