Level - House Espresso

Each year, NOMAD eagerly awaits the return of fresh lots from Aquiares, Costa Rica — and this is the flagship: Entre Ríos. A cup with structure and poise. Balanced and rounded, with a smooth mouthfeel. Aromatic, with orange and date leading the profile. Sweet, layered with chocolate and caramel. A long finish, touched by a gentle cherry acidity.

Aquiares is led by Diego Robelo and his family. Located at 1,400 MASL on the slopes of the Turrialba volcano, it’s the largest contiguous coffee farm in Costa Rica. The estate is traversed by water channels linking the Turrialba and Aquiares rivers, set within a striking natural landscape once home to a pre-Columbian community — traces of which remain to this day.

This marks the eighth year of partnership between NOMAD and Aquiares, and the seventh operating through direct trade. Pricing is agreed directly with Diego, who also acts as exporter, ensuring value stays at origin. NOMAD manages the import process, contracting containers directly from Costa Rica to Barcelona.

This season brings even more reason for celebration: Aquiares has been certified by Enveritas as compliant with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

“We hold a responsibility not only to our buyers, but to future generations in Costa Rica,” says Diego Robelo. “This recognition from Enveritas strengthens our long-standing relationship with NOMAD COFFEE. Our coffee is — and will remain — deforestation-free.”

NOMAD proudly celebrates this milestone. Aquiares, founded in 1890, is not only Costa Rica’s largest farm but also its largest carbon-neutral estate. With 620 hectares of coffee grown under shade and 200 hectares of preserved forest, Aquiares now exports to over 20 countries — a testament to dedication and craft.

Process

Fully Washed
Cherries are hand-sorted to remove floaters and underripes. Dense fruit is depulped using a Penagos DCV 306. Mucilage is stripped mechanically (Penagos Delva), followed by partial fermentation (6 hours) in tanks. Pre-drying is done in a Centriflux.

Drying
Mechanical drying over 32 hours in a Guardiola dryer, temperature range 45º–55ºC, with two 2-hour breaks for controlled, even drying.

Resting
Coffee is stored in parchment for a minimum of two months before milling and packing. Final export is in 69kg GrainPro-lined bags.

Expect notes of Chocolate, Caramel, Dates

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 6-10 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 10). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.