Being the first micromill in Costa Rica, La Candelilla knows the formula to producing great coffee. This mill sorts coffee first by density, then size, then by color, ensuring only the highest quality seed make it to your cup. And all those details certainly contribute to a great cup of coffee. But La Candelilla offers so much more than technical skill in their coffee production.

We at Six Shooter were lucky enough to visit this mill tucked away in the mountains of Tarrazu. The Candelilla farm has been in the family for 3 generations. This particular coffee is produced by 4 sisters (hermanas): Elsa, Anna, Miriam, and Luisa. While their 3 brothers also produce coffee on their family’s land, the sisters’ coffee checked all the boxes Six Shooter is looking for when sourcing coffee: it’s sweet, mellow acidity, can be enjoyed by a wide range of customers, and it has a sincere story behind it.

The Four Hermanas, after which this coffee was named, would play on the farmland as children catching the fireflies that lit up in abundance as warm nights fell on the mountainous Tarrazu. Their uncle nick-named the land “candelilla” meaning “firefly” and the name stuck as the girls grew into women and took over their respective farmlands. They grew with the generational knowledge and passion of producing great coffee. The scenery at La Candelilla is overwhelmingly beautiful. Large patio beds overlook lush mountainsides as coffee cherries dry in the warm sun mellowed by a cool breeze. A tasting room hovers over these patio beds offering the most incredible views as you taste the coffee that took generations to perfect. For coffee-lovers such as us, we’ll be forever grateful to the Four Hermanas for sharing their wisdom, telling their story, and trusting us with their hard work.

Cheers, Cleveland. We hope you enjoy this treat as much as we do!