Volcán Azul
On the slopes of Poás volcano in Alajuela, Volcán Azul is one of Costa Rica's most respected micro-lot operations. Alejo Castro Kahle, fifth generation of two historic coffee-growing lineages, produces over 27 distinct varietal lots each year — from SL-28 and Villasarchi to proprietary hybrids developed on the estate.
Altitud1350msnm
Cómo se procesa
Volcán Azul is defined by varietal-first experimentation: SL-28, SL-34, Villasarchi, Mocca, and proprietary hybrids — including H1 (Sarchimor × Sudan Rume) and H3 (Ethiopian heirloom × Caturra) — each receive purpose-designed processing protocols. Over half the farm's production uses anaerobic or experimental methods. The Warm Anaerobic method, fermentation in sealed tanks held at around 21°C for four days, was developed to extract berry and tropical-fruit notes from specific varietals. The farm has twice won the Cup of Excellence for Costa Rica, most recently placing 4th in 2024.
Sostenibilidad
The Castro-Kahle family preserves approximately 200 hectares of forest above the coffee fields on Poás, and has separately acquired over 1,500 hectares of primary rainforest on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula as a long-term conservation reserve.