SHB stands for Strictly Hard Bean, a grade for coffee grown above 1,200 meters, which develops greater density, acidity, and flavor complexity.

San Isidro de Heredia & La Lucha de Sabalito, Coto Brus · Costa Rica

Twenty years of
chasing exceptional coffee

Q: What is the SCA score?

Villa Alba’s currently available coffee, from San Isidro de Heredia, scores 85 points SCA. Our second origin, La Lucha de Sabalito, Coto Brus, scores 87. All of our coffee is 100% Arabica, SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) grade, grown at 1,400 to 1,700 meters above sea level.

Q: How do I order or subscribe?

Contact Villa Alba Coffee via WhatsApp at +506 8395-8070 or email info@villaalbacoffee.com.

Born in the highlands of Costa Rica, Villa Alba has spent two decades pursuing one thing: a cup that is honest, traceable, and extraordinary.

Shop Now Our Journey

SCA Points

1,400m+

Elevation

20+

Years of Craft

El Maestro

Minor Alfaro · Roastmaster

Strictly Hard Bean — the mark of mountain coffee

Sourced from farms above 1,400 meters in San Isidro de Heredia.

85 pts SCA100% ArabicaSHB Grade Rainforest Alliance Certified Fair Trade Certified NAMA Certified Washed Process1,400+ MASLDirect Relationships Small Batch RoastedShips to USA

Certifications for our San Isidro de Heredia · Valle Central Occidental origin

Direct Relationships

We work directly with the farming families who grow our coffee.

Elevation Matters

All Villa Alba coffees are grown above 1,400 meters in San Isidro de Heredia.

Full Traceability

Every bag traces back to specific farms and families in Costa Rica's Valle Central Occidental.

Community Impact

Your purchase supports farming families in Costa Rica.

Our Own Farm

Beyond our partner farms, Villa Alba tends its own land in Coto Brus — the same soil where Roger Villalobos began growing coffee in the 1980s.

The harvest

Picked at peak ripeness

In the highlands of Costa Rica, every cherry is hand-picked at its perfect moment.

Our Journey

A story of roots,
loss, and reinvention

Roger Villalobos resting at Finca La Neblina with his coffee thermos

Roger Villalobos — Finca La Neblina

Villa Alba was born from a family's love for their land.

"We didn't just want to sell coffee."

Today, Villa Alba sources from high-altitude farms in San Isidro de Heredia.

And on the original land where everything began, something new is growing again.

Rafael Sandi y Jimmy Alvarado en Las Mellizas de Coto Brus

Rafael Sandi · Jimmy Alvarado — Las Mellizas, Coto Brus

— Jimmy Alvarado García Founder, Villa Alba Coffee · Costa Rica

2005 — The Beginning

Roots in Coto Brus

Roger Villalobos had farmed the highlands of southern Costa Rica for decades.

Finca La Neblina · Coto Brus · 1,600 MASL

2009 — First Export

Villa Alba reaches the world

Villa Alba made its first international export earning 87 SCAA points.

87 pts SCAA · SHB Arabica

Jimmy Alvarado y Minor El Maestro Alfaro en la primera exportación 2009

Jimmy Alvarado, Villa Alba Coffee Founder · Minor "El Maestro" Alfaro — Harvesting together, Finca Pelo de Gato

Jimmy Alvarado, Rafael Sandi y Roger Villalobos frente a la Guardiola 2009

Jimmy Alvarado · Rafael Sandi · Roger Villalobos — First Export 2009

Kathya seleccionando el café verde grano por grano

Hand-picked, bean by bean

2016 — A Turning Point

Loss, and a decision to keep going

Roger passed away. The family farm was sold.

2018 — Reinvention

A new origin. The same standard.

Villa Alba pivoted to sourcing from San Isidro de Heredia.

San Isidro de Heredia · 1,400+ MASL

2024 — A New Chapter

The land comes back to life

One hectare of the original land in Coto Brus was planted again.

Villa Alba Coffee Woman — Coming Soon

Jimmy Alvarado planting on the original Coto Brus land

Direct Trade · Global Reach

The relationships
behind every cup

Villa Alba Coffee's story began in the Netherlands — our very first buyer — and Belgium, and has since reached the United States, Canada, Russia, Israel, and beyond. Not through brokers or intermediaries — through real relationships, built one handshake at a time.

Peter y Truts con Jimmy Alvarado y Kathya Villalobos en la tienda Villa Alba Coffee

Family with Peter and Truts

Familia Alvarado Villalobos con Peter y Truts en la tienda Villa Alba Coffee

Jimmy Alvarado, Villa Alba Founder · Minor "El Maestro" Alfaro, inventor of Vandola · Truts & Peter

Jimmy Alvarado con Minor Alfaro y Peter en café de Costa Rica

Truts & Peter and the Q Grader

Peter y Truts observando la maquina Satake Evolution clasificadora de granos

Satake Evolution — Electronic Eye Grain Sorting

Visitantes de Israel conociendo Villa Alba Coffee

Visiting from Israel

Minor El Maestro Alfaro preparando cafe con metodo Vandola para visitantes de Israel

The Vandola preparation

Jimmy Alvarado junto a la tostadora nueva de Villa Alba Coffee, 2017

Jimmy and the new roaster — 2017

Sacos de Villa Alba Coffee siendo cargados en contenedor para exportacion

From these mountains — to buyers in the USA, Canada, Russia, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and beyond

Shop

Find your perfect roast

100% Arabica, SHB grade from San Isidro de Heredia, Costa Rica. Roasted in small batches to order.

Bolsa real de Villa Alba Coffee 100% Costa Rica Arabica

San Isidro de Heredia · 1,400+ MASL

Medium Roast

Caramel, almond, and sugar cane. Balanced and smooth — the full complexity of high-altitude Costa Rican Arabica in every cup.

San Isidro de Heredia · 1,400+ MASL

Dark Roast

Rich bittersweet chocolate and smoky caramel. Bold, full-bodied, and deeply satisfying for those who want intensity in every sip.

Bolsa real de Villa Alba Coffee 100% Costa Rica Arabica de frente

San Isidro de Heredia · 2.2 lb

2.2 lb Bag

The same exceptional specialty coffee — in a full 2.2 lb bag. Best value per ounce. Choose your roast and grind.

Villa Alba Coffee · Vandola Method

Vandola

A specialty preparation using the Vandola extraction method developed by our roastmaster Minor "El Maestro" Alfaro. Limited availability — ask us for current details.

Villa Alba Coffee · Whole Bean

Coffee Sack

A branded burlap sack of Villa Alba coffee — for those who like to buy by the sackful. Ask us for available sizes and pricing.

Suscripción · Costa Rica

Mensual, a tu puerta

Café de especialidad cada mes en Costa Rica. Pago automático con tarjeta, o mensual por SINPE.

Esencia

2 × 340g

₡18.950 / mes · envío incluido

San Isidro de Heredia · 85 SCA · Arábica lavado. Dos bolsas de 340g al mes, tueste a elección.

SINPE / WhatsApp

Selección

4 × 340g

₡35.950 / mes · envío incluido

Origen de lote único, tueste en lote pequeño. Cuatro bolsas de 340g al mes, tueste a elección.

SINPE / WhatsApp

Cumbre

2 × 1kg

₡40.950 / mes · envío incluido

Volumen para baristas y cafeterías. Dos bolsas de 1kg al mes, tostado para consistencia en taza.

SINPE / WhatsApp

Monthly Subscription

Choose your plan

Single-origin specialty coffee from Costa Rica, 85 points SCA. Six subscription plans, shipped direct to any US address — no extra fees at checkout.

Villa Alba Coffee is a single-origin specialty coffee from Costa Rica, scoring 85 points SCA. Currently available from San Isidro de Heredia, grown at 4,600 ft above sea level. 100% Arabica — Caturra, Catuaí, and Obatá varieties. Fully Washed process. Exporting since 2009 to six countries.

The Apprentice

6 bags × 12 oz

Total 4.5 lbs

Every great coffee story begins with a first cup. Six bags of 12 oz, grown in the highlands of Costa Rica at 4,600 ft, roasted with the precision that only years of craft can produce. Your introduction to what real specialty coffee tastes like. Once you taste it, there’s no going back.

The Craftsman

3 bags × 2.2 lb

Total 6.6 lbs

You know what good coffee is. You’ve earned the right to demand it. Three bags of 2.2 lbs of single-origin Costa Rican coffee — 85 points SCA, Fully Washed, grown at 4,600 ft. Roasted under the guidance of Minor "El Maestro" Alfaro. No shortcuts. No compromises. Just craft in every cup.

The Roaster

2 bags × 2.2 lb + 4 bags × 12 oz

Total 7.4 lbs

Two formats, one story. The large bag for your morning ritual, the smaller ones for when you want something different. Villa Alba coffee in its purest expression — high altitude, direct from the farm, roasted with intention. Because great coffee should never be one-size-fits-all.

The Master

5 bags × 2.2 lb

Total 11 lbs

Five bags of 2.2 lbs — enough to fuel an entire month of exceptional mornings. This is Costa Rican specialty coffee at its finest: Caturra, Catuaí, and Obatá grown at 4,600 ft, Fully Washed, 85 SCA. The choice of those who take their coffee seriously. Minor "El Maestro" Alfaro makes sure every roast is worth your morning.

The Reserve

7 bags × 2.2 lb

Total 15.4 lbs

Reserved for those who understand that truly great coffee is not found on a supermarket shelf. Seven bags of 2.2 lbs, sourced directly from the highlands of San Isidro de Heredia, roasted with the care that only a direct-trade relationship can guarantee. The Reserve is not for everyone — and that’s exactly the point.

The Legend

6 bags × 2.2 lb + 6 bags × 12 oz

Total 17.7 lbs

Since 2009, Villa Alba Coffee has traveled from the mountains of Costa Rica to six countries around the world. The Legend brings together the complete Villa Alba experience — twelve bags, two formats, one origin. High altitude. Direct trade. 85 SCA. Roasted by Minor "El Maestro" Alfaro, whose Vandola method was presented at the World Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle. This is not just coffee. This is a legacy.

Every plan lets you choose the grind and roast for each individual bag. After payment, your exact specifications are sent straight to our roastery.

Larger quantities?

For wholesale, cafés, or bulk orders beyond our largest plan, we prepare a custom quote with tailored shipping. Let’s talk.

Request a Custom Quote

Where it begins

The coffee flower

Before the cherry, the blossom — a few fragrant days that set the harvest in motion.

Coming Soon

On the original land where Villa Alba was born — in the highlands of Coto Brus, Costa Rica — one hectare of coffee is growing again. This time, it is tended by two women, both single mothers, both from the local community.

Original land First harvest Women producers

FAQ

Common questions

Everything you need to know about Villa Alba Coffee.

Where does Villa Alba Coffee come from?↓

Villa Alba Coffee sources its specialty Arabica from two high-altitude regions in Costa Rica: San Isidro de Heredia (1,400+ meters, Valle Central Occidental) and La Lucha de Sabalito, Coto Brus (1,600 meters, near La Amistad International Park), where founder Jimmy Alvarado's family has grown coffee since the 1980s.

What is the SCA score?↓

Our currently available coffee, from San Isidro de Heredia, scores 85 points SCA. Our second origin, La Lucha de Sabalito, Coto Brus, scores 87. All of it is 100% Arabica, SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) grade, grown at 1,400 to 1,700 meters above sea level.

Does Villa Alba ship to the United States?↓

Yes. Villa Alba ships directly to the United States with free US shipping on all subscriptions. Contact us via WhatsApp or email to place your order.

What is SHB coffee?↓

SHB stands for Strictly Hard Bean — a grade for coffee grown above 1,200 meters. Slow maturation at altitude develops greater density, acidity, and flavor complexity.

What roasts does Villa Alba offer?↓

Medium Roast (caramel, almond, sugar cane) and Dark Roast (bittersweet chocolate, smoky caramel). Both available whole bean or ground, in 340g or 1kg bags.

What is Villa Alba Coffee Woman?↓

A micro-lot project on Villa Alba's own land in La Lucha de Sabalito, Coto Brus, tended by two local women. First harvest complete, launching soon.

How do I order or subscribe?↓

Contact us via WhatsApp at +506 8395-8070 or email info@villaalbacoffee.com. Tell us your roast preference, grind, and whether you'd like a one-time order or subscription.

What are Villa Alba's two coffee origins?↓

San Isidro de Heredia (Valle Central Occidental, 1,400+ meters) and La Lucha de Sabalito, Coto Brus (1,600 meters, near La Amistad International Park) — both volcanic soil, high elevation, and slow maturation, producing dense, complex SHB-grade Arabica.

Is Villa Alba Coffee sustainably grown?↓

Yes. Villa Alba uses sustainable farming techniques including mountain microorganisms and bio-inputs, with minimal chemical use and biological pest control. Beehives on the farm help pollinate the coffee plants. Our San Isidro de Heredia origin holds Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, and NAMA (Cafe de Costa Rica) certifications.

What is the best Costa Rica coffee to buy online?↓

Villa Alba Coffee is a direct-trade, single-origin specialty coffee from San Isidro de Heredia, Costa Rica, scoring 85 points SCA. It ships as a subscription-style plan directly to any US address, roasted to order by Minor Alfaro using the Vandola method, with no added shipping fees at checkout.

Honey process