On the fertile slopes of Costa Rica's famous Poás Volcano, exists a legend in the world of fine coffee. Doka Estate is a private family owned coffee estate of 600 acres producing the finest Arabica coffee. At an altitude of 4,500 ft above sea level the volcanic soil, crisp clean mountain air and abundant rays of sunshine combine to create the perfect combination for coffee growing.

Doka Estate is more than just a coffee finca, at Doka, they mill all of their coffee in an antique and traditional coffee beneficio. The milled coffee is then dried on sun soaked patios in the traditional methods. The sun's energy combined with the hourly raking of the coffee mix to soak in the nutrients of the coffee's fruit to create an incredibly unique coffee, "Doka Estate private reserve".

The coffee roasting facility located in the mill gives visitors a chance to see first hand the entire process from seedlings to trees, fruit to roasted coffee and finally the opportunity to taste the perfect balance of nature and science. 

The romance of the harvest
A century of perseverance

The magic of the harvest hangs in the air like a fragrant perfume. The tree branches bend from the weight of the ripe red fruit. The nimble fingers of the coffee harvester select only the perfectly ripe cherries. The cherries are deposited into a basket hung from the waist called a cajuela. 

The harvesting season is a time of great joy,  and over one thousand harvesters help to bring in the crop. The fruit of a year's labor comes full circle to create a special time for everyone involved. The children are on Christmas vacation from school and join their parents in the field to bring in the crop.

The hand picked crop is brought from the tree to the receiving station where each basket of fruit is inspected. Only ripe fruit is allowed to ensure our costumers of the very best quality. Coffee has been harvested in this traditional fashion for over a century on Doka Estate, it is a treasured cultural history.

Coffee Milling
The art of tradition

The journey of the coffee cherry from the tree to the roasting machine must pass through various steps to create. The peeling process through fermentation and finally the patio drying of the coffee work together in the unison with modern moisture detection devices to select the coffee's perfect point for roasting.

The use of electronic sorting machines to detect color variations and vibrating tables to determine sizes are just part of the technological advances used by the exporting branch of Doka Estate. Once the final preparations of the coffee are made it goes out to shipment to some of the finest coffee roasters in the world. You can find Doka State private reserve in many fine coffee houses in more than 18 different countries.