This Costa Rican coffee from DAK Coffee Roasters has a juicy, sweet, and distinctly layered flavor profile, with notes of dark grapes and ripe cherries that bring to mind the fruity filling in a chocolate praline. Added to this is the warm sweetness of brown sugar and a slightly liqueur-like orange note reminiscent of Grand Marnier. The result is a fuller, syrupier pour-over with pronounced fruitiness that feels wild yet holds together beautifully. As it cools, the individual flavors open up even more, and sweet dark fruit comes to the forefront.
The coffee comes from the Aquiares Estate in the Turrialba region of Costa Rica, where it is produced by Diego Robelo. The coffee trees here grow at approximately 1, 200 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Turrialba volcano. Aquiares has a history of coffee cultivation spanning more than a century, and the local conditions combine volcanic soil, ample rainfall, and surrounding tropical vegetation. Booze Cruise is a Centroamericano variety, created by crossing Sarchimor T5296 and Sudan Rume. It is precisely this combination of unique genetics and the conditions at Aquiares that allows this coffee to fully express its distinctive sweetness and intense fruity character.
The coffee was processed using the anaerobic natural method. With this method, whole coffee cherries ferment in an environment with limited oxygen access and are then dried together with the pulp. This processing method enhances the coffee’s fruitiness, sweetness, and fuller texture—qualities that are particularly pronounced in Booze Cruise. In the cup, you’ll find an intense, slightly liqueur-like profile with dark fruit, praline-like sweetness, and a citrus finish that’s bold, juicy, and definitely won’t get lost among other pour-over coffees.
- Producer: Diego Robelo
- Farm: Aquiares Estate
- Elevation: 1,200 m above sea level