Meeting Ivan Solis at La Aurora

If you've ever wondered what makes certain coffees stand out in a crowded field, spending time with Ivan Solis in Santa Maria de Dota provides some clear answers. It's about the details, the relationships, and an approach to coffee that feels both traditional and forward-thinking.

Who Ivan Is

Ivan Solis runs Santa Fe Mill with his wife Leandra Cordero and their children, Solsire and Ivan Jr., in the heart of Costa Rica's Tarrazú region. After decades working for major operations like CoopeDota, Ivan and his family started their own wet mill in 2017. They've built something that feels distinctly their own, processing coffee from their farms and partnering with neighboring producers throughout Santa Maria de Dota.

Ivan became a certified Q Grader back in 2009, which gives him a particularly refined ability to evaluate coffee quality. This technical knowledge shows in everything from how he selects cherry to how he approaches drying. His Finca Voo took first place in the Experimental category at Costa Rica's 2024 Cup of Excellence, with his Red Catuai placing 16th in the Traditional Honey and Natural category, achievements that surprised no one who knows his work.

Where and How the Coffee Grows

Santa Maria de Dota sits in what many consider the sweet spot of Costa Rican coffee production. The farms Ivan works with range from 1500 to 1900 meters, with his Finca Voo in Copey reaching up to 2000 meters. These elevations, combined with the region's volcanic soil and distinct wet and dry seasons, create the conditions for dense, complex beans.

The family cultivates primarily Red and Yellow Catuai, along with Bourbon and Typica varieties. While some producers chase exotic varieties, Ivan has shown that traditional cultivars, when handled with exceptional care, can compete at the highest levels. His approach focuses on the fundamentals: healthy trees, selective picking, and precise timing.

The Copey area, where Finca Voo sits, deserves special mention. Just a decade or two ago, farmers doubted coffee could even grow there. Now, with slightly warmer temperatures and pioneering producers like Ivan, it's producing some of the region's most interesting lots. The untouched soils and unique microclimate, almost Alpine in character with rolling hills and abundant water, have created something special.

Processing Methods That Set Him Apart

At Santa Fe Mill, Ivan controls every step from cherry reception through dry milling, unusual for many producers. He's developed what he calls the "Candy Natural" process, where whole cherries undergo dry anaerobic fermentation in sealed plastic bags for three to four days. The fermentation creates a juice called "mosto" that intensifies the fruit characteristics. After fermentation, the cherries dry on raised beds for 25 to 30 days, with Ivan's team moving them hourly during peak sun.

The family also produces excellent washed and honey-processed coffees, each requiring different timing and attention. For their honey lots, they'll ferment overnight before pulping to remove just a portion of the mucilage, then focus on slow drying to develop fruit character. Every process reflects the same attention to detail and willingness to put in the physical work, the whole family takes turns monitoring the drying beds.

What We Experienced Together

We got to see this first-hand when we visited him in Costa Rica recently. In addition to being one of the cleanest operations we've seen, we got to drive up into the mountains to see one of his farms, meet some of his pickers with their kids, and cup coffees with him. It was impressive. No less impressive was Ivan himself who, despite winning Costa Rica's Cup of Excellence last year, was humble, always seeking ways to improve and make his coffee better.

But none of that was the highlight of the trip. The week before we visited Ivan, I had given a bag of his coffee to one of our exporters in Guatemala, who cupped it shortly after we left. While I was with Ivan, they sent a note telling me that his coffee was so good, stunning even. Sharing that feedback with Ivan was such a special moment.

What struck me most was how Ivan treats everyone involved in his operation. He pays premium prices to partner farmers, especially for unique varieties like Yellow Bourbon from families like the Madrigals in San Lorenzo. His relationships aren't transactional, they're built on years of working together and mutual respect for the craft.

What You Can Expect in the Cup

Ivan's coffees tend toward clarity and sweetness, whether processed as naturals, honeys, or washed lots. His natural-processed Bourbons often show kiwi and lemon notes with a brown sugar sweetness, bright but never sharp. The Candy Natural Catuais lean toward strawberry jam and blood orange, with a cocoa complexity that reads almost fruity rather than simply chocolatey.

His washed coffees maintain the regional character of Tarrazú, balanced acidity, substantial body, and clean finish, while adding layers of complexity. You might find grapefruit and lime zest up front, milk chocolate through the middle, and a turbinado sugar sweetness that lingers. The honey-processed lots split the difference, with plum and molasses notes alongside bright citrus.

What ties them all together is a certain precision. These aren't wild, funky coffees that overwhelm. They're carefully crafted to express both the terroir and the processing method clearly. Each cup reflects the accumulated knowledge of someone who's spent their entire adult life in coffee production, constantly refining their approach.

Working with Ivan means supporting a true family operation that's deeply rooted in its community while constantly pushing forward. It's coffee production that feels both timeless and innovative, grounded in tradition but never stuck in the past.