What does micro lot mean for coffee?

A micro lot is a small, separately processed harvest from a defined section of a farm. Instead of mixing fruit from across the property, the grower isolates a specific plot and handles its cherries independently. This allows the coffee to express the conditions and decisions unique to that harvest window.

How should I brew this coffee?

Pour-over methods like Chemex or V60 will show off the clarity and fruit notes that come from careful processing. A French press or drip machine works fine, but avoid very dark or very long extractions that can muddy the origin character this coffee was selected to preserve.

Is this a light or dark roast?

The roast level is calibrated to preserve the distinct qualities of the micro lot rather than to build caramel or roast flavors. Expect a roast that lets the bean's inherent character come through, typical of specialty single-origin offerings.

Costa Rica Sumava La Ladera

b corp
fair trade

The 3-second version

Single micro lot from one grower's specific hillside section
Processed at an early Costa Rican micro mill with full harvest control
Black Cherry lot selected for its distinct fermentation profile
Roast level preserves origin notes over caramelization
Micro lot pricing reflects limited harvest volume

Why it's on GiftsFeed

Costa Rica Sumava La Ladera

Most single-origin coffee comes from a cooperative that pools the work of dozens of growers, which means you're tasting an average. This is a micro lot: one producer, one patch of hillside, one processing run. Mena's mill was built to prove that a grower who controls the entire post-harvest chain could produce coffee that a roaster would buy at a premium, and the cup shows what that control looks like. If you've wondered whether the farm matters as much as the roast, this is the side-by-side you want.

Good gift when

People who want to taste the difference micro lot selection makes
Drinkers who prefer single-origin coffee with a known producer
Anyone exploring Costa Rican coffee beyond the standard blends

Skip it if You prefer darker roasts that smooth out origin character, or you want a lower-cost option for daily high-volume brewing.

Specs

Origin: Costa Rica
Producer: Francisco Mena
Mill: Sumava de Lourdes
Lot: La Ladera Black Cherry
Size: 10.5 oz
Roaster: Stumptown Coffee

If you're giving it

No sizing to guess

Ships in a labeled bag; transfer to a canister or pair with a grinder for gifting.

The details

This single-origin coffee comes from a micro lot grown at Francisco Mena's Sumava de Lourdes operation in Costa Rica. The La Ladera Black Cherry lot represents a narrow harvest from a specific section of the farm, selected and processed separately to bring out its particular character.

Micro mills like Sumava de Lourdes handle small volumes with precision control over every step from cherry to dried bean. That attention allows for careful fermentation, exact pulping schedules, and drying conditions tailored to each day's fruit. The result is a coffee that tastes less like a blend of the hillside and more like the work of a particular week in a particular place.

Mena's operation was among the first wave of Costa Rican micro mills to prove that a grower could roast-worthy coffee without sending cherries to a regional cooperative. By managing processing in-house, he retains full say over timing and method, and the cup reflects that consistency.

You'll brew a coffee that carries the weight of controlled fermentation and selective picking. The Black Cherry designation signals the lot's profile, shaped by varietal choice, altitude, and the decisions made during processing. Expect a clean cup with definition in the fruit notes and a clarity that comes from focused sourcing and careful handling from tree to bag.

Stumptown

Costa Rica Sumava La Ladera

Black Cherry micro lot from Francisco Mena's pioneering micro mill

$25at stumptowncoffee.com

Quantity

Ships and sold by Stumptown. About this merchant

The 3-second version

Single micro lot from one grower's specific hillside section
Processed at an early Costa Rican micro mill with full harvest control
Black Cherry lot selected for its distinct fermentation profile
Roast level preserves origin notes over caramelization
Micro lot pricing reflects limited harvest volume

Questions

What does micro lot mean for coffee?: A micro lot is a small, separately processed harvest from a defined section of a farm. Instead of mixing fruit from across the property, the grower isolates a specific plot and handles its cherries independently. This allows the coffee to express the conditions and decisions unique to that harvest window.
How should I brew this coffee?: Pour-over methods like Chemex or V60 will show off the clarity and fruit notes that come from careful processing. A French press or drip machine works fine, but avoid very dark or very long extractions that can muddy the origin character this coffee was selected to preserve.
Is this a light or dark roast?: The roast level is calibrated to preserve the distinct qualities of the micro lot rather than to build caramel or roast flavors. Expect a roast that lets the bean's inherent character come through, typical of specialty single-origin offerings.