Café Don Senel is a small family business formed by the founders Senel Campos and Maria Eugenia Jimenez, together with their children Evelyn, Gredy and his wife Zaira, Lisseth and her husband Julio, Senel's grandchildren Andrew, Ximena, Allan and his wife Cinthia. At harvest time they all help with coffee collection and processing.
This lot is called Cola Roja which is translated to “Red Tail”, because in the highest part of the farm there is a large tree where they noticed a pair of gavilan birds which have red tails, and every year after that the birds have come back to this tree to observe the harvest. The lot is located at the foot of the Chirripo National Reserve only 15 meters away from its limits - an ideal spot to grow compelling coffees. The cherries are passed through a floating and de-stoning system which separates out inferior fruit and foreign material. Then, the well selected cherries are taken to raised drying beds for a pre-drying phase. After about 4 or 5 days, the family puts the semi-dry fruit back into fresh water for 24 hours. After the long soak and re-absorption of moisture, they pulp the fruit and put it back on raised drying beds. In order to ensure a safe drying environment for a moisture shocked bean, they shade the parchment with a mesh cover. After being put back out to dry as a honey, the parchment takes 15-22 days to fully complete its careful drying phase.
