Perched at an astonishing 2,000 meters—the highest elevations in Tarrazú - Las Margaritas stands as a testament to vision, patience, and stubborn perseverance in the face of unforgiving conditions. The farm was originally a cattle prairie passed down to Emmanuel Solís, valued mainly for dairy rather than crops. The cold, volatile climate made most agricultural ventures unrealistic. But Emmanuel saw something others didn’t: a rising movement toward high-altitude exotic varieties, and the chance to turn a rugged landscape into something extraordinary.
Piece by piece, he planted the classics—Catuai, Geisha, SL28—and later added promising hybrids like H3. He invested in a Penagos eco-pulper and covered raised beds so the family could process their own coffee with care. As the climate slowly warmed and demand for exotic varieties grew, Emmanuel’s gamble paid off. Today, Las Margaritas is celebrated for producing some of Costa Rica’s most coveted coffees. The farm is breathtaking—tidy, diverse, environmentally thoughtful, and framed by sweeping views over the Los Santos Valley. Livestock, native plants, visitors, and farm workers all coexist in a space that Emmanuel has shaped with intention.
This lot, Toño SL28, carries its own lineage. The seeds were gifted to Emmanuel by Toño Barrantes of Herbazu—one of the most respected names in SL28 cultivation and a producer with a long list of accolades. For us, Herbazu’s SL28 is among the best genetic material in the country, and Emmanuel’s high-altitude site pushes it into rare territory. Up here, plants grow slowly, weather turns on a dime, disease threatens constantly, and yields are modest. But when everything aligns, the results are stunning.
Processing at Las Margaritas mirrors the same discipline. Ripe cherry is brought directly to the nearby wet mill, pulped, and mechanically demucilaged. The parchment rests overnight in fresh spring water from the farm, then moves to covered raised beds for 10–12 days of steady, attentive drying. Even the processing happens at extreme altitude—adding another layer of clarity and structure to the cup.
Focused. Intentional. Built on patience against the odds. Las Margaritas continues to prove that some of the world’s most exceptional coffees come from the places no one expected.
*LIMITED TO ONLY FIFTY 250g BAGS ONLINE.
Green Price
$18.50
Green cost, milling, transport, taxes and exporting fees.
Transport
$1.07
Importing fees and transport from the farm to Chicago, Illinois.
Our Cost of Production
$6.08
Labor, Rent, Health Insurance, Paid Time Off
Metric
$25.65
Per 10.5oz bag of coffee
Read The Source Code to learn more about price transparency in the coffee industry.
Costa Rica Las Margaritas 26 SL28
Los Santos/Tarrazú, Costa Rica
- Producer Toño Barrantes
- Elevation 2000 MASL
- Process Washed
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Quality
Quality means buying high quality coffees from established producers around the world.
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Traceability
Traceability gives recognition to the producers and validates where the coffee is grown, picked, and processed.
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Transparency
We endeavor to contextualize the importance of a fair and balanced trade through the prices we pay.
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Paying More
As an Independent Specialty Coffee Roaster, we always pay well above the C-Market based on two factors; the quality of coffee and the cost of production.
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Fair Wage
A fair wage begins with paying higher premiums to the coffee producer in tandem with providing competitive wages and benefits for our staff here at Metric.
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