Meet Our Farmers: Stories from Costa Rica – The Jaguar Honey Legacy

Meet Our Farmers: Stories from Costa Rica – The Jaguar Honey Legacy

There’s a quiet pride that comes with knowing the hands and hearts behind your morning cup. When we first cupped this season’s Costa Rica Jaguar Honey, we tasted more than milk chocolate, honey, and a soft raspberry sweetness. We tasted generations of care, highland mornings, and a shared commitment to something larger than any single farm.

This is the story of the smallholders of Tarrazú and the historic Beneficio San Diego mill that brings their coffee to life.

High in the Tarrazú Highlands

Nestled in the cool, volcanic highlands of Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region (1,200–1,750 meters above sea level), coffee grows slowly and deliberately. Steep slopes, rich soils, and cool nights concentrate sugars and complexity in every cherry. The farms here are typically small—often just three hectares—worked by families who have tended these trees for generations.

Over 2,000 small producers deliver their carefully hand-picked, perfectly ripe cherries to Beneficio San Diego. There is no single “star” farmer on the label because this coffee is a collective achievement: the quiet, consistent excellence of a community that trusts one of Costa Rica’s most respected mills with their harvest.

Beneficio San Diego: Innovation Rooted in Respect

Established in 1888, Beneficio San Diego is Costa Rica’s oldest operating wet mill and widely regarded as one of its most modern and innovative. Specializing in coffees from Tarrazú and Tres Ríos, the mill has spent more than a century refining quality while deepening relationships with the surrounding farming communities.

Here, cherries are selected with care for the honey process—a method that began in Costa Rica and has since inspired producers across Central America. After depulping, a portion of the sweet mucilage (the “honey”) is left on the parchment. The coffee then dries slowly on African beds or patios. This gentle approach captures the lush sweetness of a natural process while keeping the clean, elegant clarity that makes Costa Rican coffee so beloved.

The result in the cup is beautifully balanced: milk chocolate and cane-sugar sweetness up front, followed by subtle dried-fruit and raspberry notes that linger. Smooth body, clean finish—approachable yet quietly complex. Exactly the kind of coffee that feels like home.

Coffee with a Purpose: Protecting the Jaguar

What makes this coffee even more meaningful is the story behind its name.

Since 2010, Volcafe Costa Rica (Genuine Origin’s sister company and the operator of Beneficio San Diego) has partnered with Fundación Pro Zoológicos (FUNDAZOO) to protect Costa Rica’s endangered jaguars. Jaguars are an “umbrella species”—when their habitats are protected, countless other species thrive too.

A portion of every sale of Jaguar Honey supports this work. Over the years the project has raised more than $40,000 (with ongoing contributions continuing to grow), funding research, habitat management, education, and even emergency support for rescued wild cats during difficult times. When you choose this coffee, you’re not only tasting the highlands of Tarrazú—you’re helping safeguard the forests that make those highlands possible.

Costa Rica’s broader coffee system also stands out for its social standards. Producers typically receive nearly 80% of the FOB value of their coffee—one of the strongest returns in the industry—backed by transparent regulations, universal healthcare, and a national culture that values education and environmental stewardship.

Why This Matters to Us (and to You)

At 6 Planes Coffee, we choose partners who share our values: quality that respects the farmer, transparency that builds trust, and impact that reaches beyond the cup. Costa Rica Jaguar Honey is one of those rare lots that delivers on every level—delicious, ethical, and deeply human.

Whether you’re brewing a quiet morning pour-over or sharing a pot with friends, this coffee carries the story of Tarrazú’s smallholders, the skilled team at Beneficio San Diego, and a living commitment to Costa Rica’s wild places.

Ready to taste the difference?

Our current Costa Rica Jaguar Honey is available now with limited availability and full of the sweet, balanced character we love.

Shop Costa Rica Jaguar Honey →

Have you tried it yet? We’d love to hear what notes you discover or how it becomes part of your daily ritual. Tag us or drop us a note—your stories keep the connection alive.

With gratitude from the 6 Planes team, and from the highlands of Tarrazú.