10 - El Cola Roja - Costa Rica 2026 (Dry)

#10 — El Cola Roja
Senel Campos Valverde   |   Mill: Senel Campos Valverde
Senel Campos planted his first coffee nursery at the age of twelve. Years later, when falling market prices in 2014 threatened the viability of his farm, he made a choice that would define the next decade of his life: instead of abandoning the crop, he bet on quality. That first year, without proper equipment, he processed three bags of coffee using a hand pulper fitted with a washing machine motor — an improvised but determined beginning. The lot scored 87 points, and from that moment, Senel knew the path forward.
Don Senel Specialty Coffee has grown steadily since then, through investments in drying infrastructure, equipment, and land at higher elevations suited to complex, exotic varieties. In 2022, Senel began planting Geisha on Finca El Cola Roja, selecting specific mother plants within the variety for their distinct characteristics — a selection he named Geisha Súper Madre. This year, that lot qualified in both the Honey & Natural and Experimental categories of Cup of Excellence, placing 10th and 9th respectively. For Senel and his family, coffee is not just a livelihood — it is a heritage being built, generation by generation.