La Guaca

This lot is a natural-processed lot from Finca La Guaca, one of Rivense’s several high-elevation growing areas, sitting at 1600 masl and consisting of Caturra and Catuai varieties.

Café Rivense is a farm and micromill founded by Régulo Ureña and Isabel Rojas in 2005 in the Brunca area of Costa Rica, within in a micro-region called Chirripó. Today, Rivense remains a family enterprise run with the participation of their children Ricardo, Mario, Esteban, Luis, and Tatiana. The Rivense operation consists of several lush, garden-like growing areas with distinct names, which deliver cherry to fully integrated wet and dry-milling facilities all within the farm itself, meaning that their coffee is fully prepared for export when it leaves the farm, ensuring both quality and tracability of its products.

Rivense’s coffees have been recognized for quality numerous times, with one lot notably placing 5th in Costa Rica’s Cup of Excellence competition in 2019. The farm is managed sustainably, with a focus on reducing their carbon footprint: proper shade management provides organic material for healthy soil, fertilizer and treatments are applied only when necessary, and all water sources are protected. The Chirripó micro-region itself, located alongside the highest peak in Costa Rica, is a unique micro-climate with flourishing biodiversity, ideally suited to production and processing of speciality coffee. The Ureña family’s focus on honey and natural-processed coffees to minimize water usage bolsters this dual mission of sustainability alongside cup quality.

Our Approach to Transparency

At Euphoria, transparency begins with relationships. We believe that great coffee is rooted in mutual trust, respect, and shared commitment—long before it ever reaches your cup.

Instead of focusing solely on numbers or certifications, we prioritize long-standing partnerships with the farmers who grow our coffee. Some of these relationships have been years in the making, built through consistent communication, shared goals, and genuine care for one another’s success.

We believe the length of these relationships is one of the most meaningful indicators of transparency. A farmer would not choose to work with us year after year if we were cutting corners, negotiating unfairly, or treating their work as anything less than the craft it is. When both sides continue to return, it’s because the partnership is healthy, respectful, and mutually beneficial.

For some of our newer relationships, the foundation is the same: direct access and open communication are non-negotiable. We do not pursue sourcing situations where we can’t talk directly with the people producing the coffee, nor do we enter relationships that don’t have the potential to grow into something long-term. Our goal is always consistency, trust, and shared success, not one-time transactions.

Whenever possible, we visit our producing partners face to face. Sitting down together, walking their farms, and experiencing their work firsthand is invaluable. These moments deepen our connection and help ensure that our sourcing practices reflect our values in real, tangible ways.

When you enjoy our coffee, you’re supporting real people, real families, and real histories, thoughtfully connected across the world. That’s the heart of what we do, and that’s the kind of transparency we’re proud to stand behind.

Length of Relationship with Jhoan Vergara: 4 years

How many different coffee lots we have purchased from the Rojas family: 1

Have we met the Rojas face to face? Not yet, but we have had many great face to face chats via video call, even getting a virtual tour of the farm with Ricardo!

Thank you! – Nick Yost / Owner of Euphoria Coffee Roasting