Jamaica
Clifton Mount Estate
Renowned throughout the world for its incomparable standard of quality, Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee must meet stringent regulations and be grown under specific conditions. Considered one of the best coffees in the world, it is distinguished by its unique location and micro-climate- grown at high altitude on a tropical island where near constant cloud cover gives perfect shading and the cool sea breezes provide ideal moisture. Clifton Mount is the oldest continually functioning coffee estate in the world and is recognised for producing the very finest quality Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. The farm with its elegant Great House is located in the Newcastle region of the Island and is situated on the Eastern slope of Catherine's Peak at 1300 metres above sea level.
Panama
Cafe de Panama / La Huella
Pedro and Katarina Moss of La Huella “Café de Panama” have a beautiful, high altitude coffee farm called Finca Kristina and a micro-mill and roastery facility (Alpha 1) in El Frances, Boquete, that focuses on the sourcing, processing and marketing of unique lots of coffee from the highland terroirs of Boquete – a famous coffee producing area. We're regular visitors to this coffee growing region, and this is a key direct trade partner for Dark Woods Coffee, where we buy several micro and nano lots of coffee from every annual harvest. We’ve also worked with La Huella – in conjunction with the “on the ground” development charity Culturama, and the British Embassy in Panama – to deliver a Farmers Voice Radio program for the indigenous communities in and around Boquete, to deliver vital information regarding Covid and health education. These radio programs are decided and delivered by those who know the areas best – in this case Culturama – to provide the assistance that these communities need.
Hacienda La Esmeralda
In 1967, a Swedish-American banker by the name of Rudolph A. Peterson (1904-2003) bought Hacienda La Esmeralda as a retirement venture. At the time, the land was predominantly pasture for beef cattle, with some small smatterings of coffee mixed in. By 1975 the Petersons had switched the farms over to dairy cattle which performed quite well and continues to make up half of Esmeralda’s farmland today. In the mid 80’s, the family was looking to further diversify and coffee, with its rich production history in the Boquete region, was a perfect opportunity. Coffee had been growing on lands in and around Hacienda La Esmeralda since at least 1890, and it was this huge reservoir of coffee knowledge and culture that helped the Petersons redevelop much of their land for coffee farming, and since helping to drive the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, the marketing of Geisha coffee and modern processing techniques.
Damian first cupped Esmeralda Special Geisha in about 2006, and it was an absolute game changer for him. Nothing in coffee tasted quite like this at the time, and it was technically (score-wise) the best coffee around. Simply outstanding, and full of jasmine and juicy mandarin flavours. In January 2008 (pre-Dark Woods), Damian visited Boquete for the first time, and received a warm welcomed from Rachel, brother Daniel and Price and Susan Peterson. As well as buying Esmeralda Special, he started buying Diamond Mountain for the roastery he was working for. It was a given that, when we started Dark Woods, we would aim to maintain this long relationship.
Costa Rica
Las Lajas Micro-Mill
Francisca and Oscar Chacon have long been leading the way in processing techniques that bring about sweet, fruit-forward cups of coffee. The coffee cherries are grown on multiple, unique farms in and around Sabanilla de Alajuela in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, and centrally processed at their Las Lajas Micro-Mill facility. Third generation coffee producers, Francisca and Oscar had previously owned a coffee farm but without their own processing mill, and delivered their cherries to a local co-operative. But in 2005 they made the decision to buy a de-pulper and take control of their own coffee, lots and quality. This in turn led to experimentation with modern, specialty processing techniques (honey and natural) at a time where many specialty coffees were all washed.
Honduras
Selin Recinos & Finca La Guadalupe
One of our two direct relationships in Honduras, now into our 8th year. Selin Recinos has a fantastic farm in the Ocotepeque region, and excellent patios and coffee processing facilities. We buy classic washed coffee from him for our espresso blends, but he also produces a range of unusual varietals which feature in our single origin producer range.
Delmy Regalado & Finca La Fortuna
We’ve known Delmy for a number of years from her time at the COCAFELOL co-operative in Ocotopeque, where one of our key supply partners, Selin Recinos, is a member. A pioneer in the Honduran coffee industry, she created AMPROCAL, a women’s coffee cooperative; has been president for IWCA (International Women’s Coffee Alliance) in Honduras; part owns Finca Liquidambar; and runs her own farm - Finca La Fortuna. The farm itself is fourth generation, handed down to 10 siblings from her father. The farm is 3.4 hectares and produces around 80 bags in total each year. Shade grown under orange trees, banana and lemon pine, the coffee is harvested from December to March. Waste that is created is composted by red worms into fertilizer, and used in feeding the plants organically. As Delmy herself says, “Now I have my own family 3 children and I want to pass on the love and passion for the coffee, that’s where the name La Fortuna comes from, because for me this is the biggest fortune that my father inherited to me, and now I want to inherit to my children.” During harvest when the coffee is at its optimum ripeness, the cherries are hand-picked, then transported to AMPROCAL for pulping and processing, whether fully washed and dried, or honey processed like this 5 bag micro-lot of coffee (drying the coffee in its own sticky, sweet mucilage to create fruitier, sweeter flavours.) It is then dry milled at Beneficio San Marcos, ready for export.
