Kiss the Hippo Coffee | London's Premier Specialty Coffee Roastery

Costa Rica, Lica Torres

Costa Rica, Lica Torres - Main image
$22 $86 In stock

Category: Coffee

Producer Lica Torres
Farm/Mill Los Pinos
Cultivar

F1 Casiopea

Process Red Honey
Location Turrialba, Cartago
Altitude 1500 masl
Harvest

February - March 2025

 

Expect notes of Blackcurrant, Red Apple, Biscuit

Carbon negative coffee



Lica Torres is a rising coffee farmer based in the southern Brunca region of Costa Rica, working at high elevation in the micro‐region of Chirripó. His small family‐run farm sits roughly at 1,550 meters above sea level, where rich volcanic soils, mountain mist, and cool-warm temperature shifts all contribute to exceptional growing conditions

On his farm he cultivates high-quality Arabica varieties and uses careful, innovative processing techniques. Every coffee cherry is hand-picked at peak ripeness. The farm uses full honey processing with no added water.

Torres operates with a strong respect for nature and the local ecosystem: shade-trees are used to retain moisture, soil fertility is managed through annual tests before fertilising, and water sources are protected while native fruit trees and forest cover help maintain biodiversity. His work shows how a small-scale producer in a challenging terrain can craft specialty-level coffee with precision and care.

This lot is a new variety for us at Kiss the Hippo: Casiopea, an F1 hybrid created by crossing Caturra with Ethiopian Landrace. It showcases vibrant, fruit forward flavors and high sweetness. Expect notes of dark fruits such as blackcurrant, complemented by sweet apple tones and a smooth, biscuit-like finish.

Customer Reviews (4.6 / 5 · 17 reviews)

Kevin ★★★★★

The red honey process really lets the sweetness shine through—I brewed a V60 and got these bright, juicy notes that lasted well past when the cup cooled. Altitude and the F1 Casiopea cultivar definitely pull their weight here.

James F. ★★★★★

The F1 Casiopea cultivar is something special—it brews up this bright, honeyed sweetness I've never gotten from other red honeys. Maybe it's the 1500m elevation, but there's a clean, layered finish that keeps me coming back for another cup. I'm already rationing the bag.

John U. ★★★★★

I brewed this red honey process as a pour-over and the sweetness came through immediately, like brown sugar with a soft, fruity finish. It's easily one of the smoothest coffees I've had from the Turrialba region, and the 1500 masl altitude really shows in the complexity. Definitely grabbing another