Sara Elizabeth Chinchilla Trochez is the first female coffee producer in her family. We first met her after she placed 23rd in the Cup of Excellence with her Caturra lot—a variety that’s becoming increasingly rare in Santa Barbara and beyond. Last year, we secured a small amount outside the auction, and this year, we were lucky enough to buy most of her production.

While Pacas, the region’s most famous variety, is said to be a Caturra mutation, true Caturra is hard to find. After tasting Sara’s coffee, we knew we had to work with her.

Her coffee embodies everything we love about Santa Barbara—elegant, juicy, and full of character. While it may not have the intensity of the region’s most explosive lots, its complexity shines, thanks to great farming and high-altitude growing conditions (1,600m+). This lot, in particular, delivers a beautifully layered tropical fruit quality, reminiscent of pineapple.