The cherries for this lot were harvested at their optimal ripeness and floated to sort for quality. They were then fermented in a polyethylene bags for 8 days at an average temperature of 22°C. The drying process took place in a three-tier bed system inside a greenhouse where, For the first 5 days, the cherries were placed on the bottom level, receiving minimal sunlight. Then they were moved to the second level of the three-tier bed and left there for 20 days before finally being moved to the top level of the three-tier bed to maximize sunlight exposure and left there for 5 days to finish drying.  After that drying process, to homogenize the coffee, it was placed in a static drying machine for approximately two hours at a temperature of 40°C.

More about Finca Bernardina:

Finca Bernardina is located in the area of the National Park “Parque Internacional La Amistad” and presents itself with with a natural mountain landscape with native trees and a series of species like birds, mammals and reptiles. The size of the Finca is 17 hectares, 4 of which are untouched forest, 2 ha of secondary forest and the rest planted with coffee, fruit and timber trees.

The first person to introduce coffee on Finca Bernardina was Iluminada Bernardina in the 1960s. Now, in the third generation, her grandson Felix has taken over the management of the farm and runs it together with his father, also Felix. Currently there are 3 people permanently employed on the finca and during harvest and processing season this number grows to 25-30 people.

Many ecological measures are taken on the farm for the conservation of their environment -the grass and weeds are being kept under control without the use of herbicides, native and beneficial trees are replanted to provide shade and nutrients for the coffee trees, fauna and flora are being protected and native forests are being conserved to protect their natural water springs which are vital for the finca and the life on the finca.

We have visited Finca Bernardina for the last 3 years and we are very excited to be one of the first to bring Felix's coffee into Canada.