Alma Negra

Party Trick Alma Negra Natural — Costa Rica

Oscar and Francisca Chacón have been pulling tricks out of their sleeves since 2005, when they ditched the co-op and built their own micromill at Finca La Julia. Their Alma Negra process is a slow, patient one - ripe cherries sun-dried by day, piled up and rested by night, again and again until the magic's locked in. The result in the cup? Toffee apple, dark rum, and a syrupy sweetness that'll have you doing a double-take. It's the kind of flavour that shouldn't be possible without a little sleight of hand - the same flair it takes to send a cup spinning through the air and catch it without spilling a drop. Slurp it slow, impress your mates, and don't ask how it's done