Costa Rica Estaban Zamora

We taste: Cinnamon Rolls 

Esteban Zamora is a master at producing cinnamon co-fermented coffees. Originally a mechanical engineer in Tarrazú, one of Costa Rica’s most celebrated coffee-growing regions, Esteban eventually returned to his family’s roots to take over their five-hectare farm. Today, he oversees every step of processing by hand, continuing to push the boundaries of what coffee can be. His signature cinnamon anaerobic process is as thoughtful as it is time-intensive, creating a unique coffee experience for every type of coffee consumer.

It all starts with carefully handpicked cherries at peak ripeness. Once they arrive at the wet mill, the fruit is pulped while the mucilage remains on the seed. The coffee is then placed in GrainPro bags with cinnamon powder, using one kilogram of cinnamon for every 46 kilograms of cherries. From there, the mixture rests in an oxygen-free environment for six days, allowing the coffee and cinnamon to develop together. After fermentation, the coffee is spread across concrete patios to begin drying before finishing in stationary mechanical dryers. The cinnamon and mucilage create a seal around each seed, slowing the drying process and making mechanical drying an essential final step.