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About the Coffee

Nelsyn Hernandez owns and operates several farms in Costa Rica through her company Cafe Fatima. Farm Fatima, where this lot comes from, sits on 37 acres in Tarrazú de León Cortez, one of Costa Rica's most recognized coffee-growing regions. Hernandez has built Cafe Fatima around mastering different processing techniques, and this honey processed lot is a direct result of that focus.

Honey processing means the outer skin of the coffee cherry is removed, but the sticky layer underneath, called mucilage, is left on the seed while it dries. This eliminates the water-intensive washing step used in traditional processing, which reduces the environmental footprint of each batch. At Farm Fatima, cherries are first sorted and floated to remove any damaged fruit before pulping. The beans then move to drying patios, where they stay just long enough to shed excess moisture before being mechanically dried down to a precise 11 percent moisture content. That level of control during drying is what separates a well-executed honey process from a sloppy one.

Costa Rica has invested heavily in micro-mill infrastructure over the past two decades, which is part of why producers like Hernandez are able to run processing operations at this level of precision on a single farm. The country's strict regulations around coffee quality and processing have pushed smallholder producers to develop technical skills that are less common in other origins.

About Alternate Route Coffee

Alternate Route Coffee Co. was started by Ian and Kellie Wahl in Alberta, Canada. The two built the business from the ground up, starting with what they describe as a roastery on wheels before establishing a permanent roastery and tasting lab just outside Edmonton, near the international airport. Today, the operation is led by Kellie Wahl and Head Roaster Corie Sackville, and the team is majority women-owned and women-run.

Alternate Route roasts on a Probat P12, a small-batch drum roaster that gives them direct control over each roast. Their facility includes a coffee bar and a dedicated tasting room where they run brewing and tasting events, which reflects how hands-on they are with the education side of the business. Their sourcing focuses on building direct relationships with producers, and this lot from Nelsyn Hernandez at Farm Fatima is a good example of the kind of single-producer, traceable coffee they prioritize.

"Alternate Route is the first women-owned and operated roaster we've featured, and this month I'm proud to announce every Alternate Route coffee we're featuring is sourced from women coffee producers. I'm particularly excited to share their coffee from Huila, Colombia with you - this is one of my favourite balanced coffees this year."

- Dean, Director of Coffee