Rodin Especial

This year’s special offering from the Villatoro family is an anaerobic washed coffee called Rodin Especial. After meticulous cherry selection from the farm’s higher elevations at peak ripeness, Rodin ferments the cherries in GrainPro bags, developing its distinct boozy and tropical character. The coffee is then pulped, fermented, washed, and slowly dried on raised beds inside a shaded warehouse—rather than in direct sun—resulting in greater clarity, complexity, and longevity in the cup.

Each year, our roasters visit the Villatoros to cup new lots, spend time together, and select standout microlots like this one. We pay a premium for Rodin Especial in recognition of its exceptional quality and the additional care required to produce it. The Villatoros also grow the washed coffee used in our Commissary Blend, a longtime favorite that does not undergo this intensive anaerobic process.

When we visited last year, Rodin was midway through building his new home—a meaningful reminder that real growth for producers happens when we invest more in exceptional coffees from people we trust and love working with.