Dominican Republic – Sun-Soaked Coffee from Barahona
The Dominican Republic is one of the lesser-known coffee countries, and that's exactly where its charm lies. Our coffee comes from the Barahona region, considered the finest coffee area in the country. In the cup it surprises with juicy citrus, a floral aroma and honey sweetness.
The coffee belt · Dominican Republic
In the cup, expect ripe oranges, red grapefruit, a floral aroma and honey – a juicy Caribbean coffee with an elegant sweetness.
Dominican Republic Barahona works for espresso and filter alike. Espresso and the moka pot round the citrus into honey sweetness, while filter brewing makes the orange and floral notes glow. If you like juicy, lighter cups, go for the filter.
The coffees we roast from here
What Dominican Republic tastes like
The coffee tree reached the island of Hispaniola as early as the first half of the eighteenth century, making the Dominican Republic one of the oldest coffee countries in the Americas. Dominican coffee has always grown mainly on small family farms in the mountains, and a large share of the harvest is traditionally drunk at home – a strong, sweet cup is as natural a part of the Dominican morning as the sun. Only part of the production makes it to export, and the best of it carries the name of the Barahona region.
Although we associate the Caribbean with beaches, the Dominican Republic is a surprisingly mountainous country – the highest peaks of the entire Caribbean rise here. Coffee trees grow on mountain slopes where the tropical heat is tempered by altitude and by the humid air coming off the sea. Our Barahona region lies on the southwestern Caribbean coast on the slopes of the Sierra de Bahoruco mountains; the coffee ripens here in the shade of guama and amapola trees, which shield it from the harsh sun and slow down ripening in favor of flavor.
In taste, coffee from the Dominican Republic defies the notion of heavy Caribbean coffees. Barahona has a lively, juicy profile: ripe oranges and red grapefruit are joined by a floral aroma and a honey sweetness that holds the cup together. The acidity is bright but rounded – the coffee feels fresh, not sharp. The traditional varieties Typica, Caturra and Bourbon, which make up our Barahona, give the bean an old-school elegance and the cup a calm, mature balance.
The harvest in Barahona runs from November to March, and the cherries are picked by hand. The processing is washed: after the fruit is removed, the beans go through roughly sixteen hours of fermentation and are then dried. It is this careful washed method that gives Dominican coffee its clarity, letting both the citrus and the floral notes shine. The finest beans from the region carry the Caribbean quality designation Barahona AA – and that is exactly the bean we roast fresh in Banská Bystrica.
The island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti, was among the first places in the Americas where coffee was grown at all back in the eighteenth century – coffee grew here before it reached most of today's major coffee countries.
Regions and farms
In our atlas, the Dominican Republic is represented by the Barahona region in the country's southwest – an area considered the island's finest coffee address. Coffee grows here on the slopes of the Sierra de Bahoruco mountains in the shade of guama and amapola trees, and the best beans carry the Barahona AA quality designation.
Dominikánska republika Barahona
- Variety
- Typica, Caturra, Bourbon
- Altitude
- 800–1,400 m a.s.l.
- Processing
- Washed
The Barahona region in the Caribbean southwest of the Dominican Republic is considered the country's finest coffee area. The coffee trees grow on the slopes of the Sierra de Bahoruco mountains in the shade of guama and amapola trees, and the beans carry the Caribbean quality mark Barahona AA.
From green bean to your cup
We roast coffees from across the coffee belt in our own roastery in Banská Bystrica and ship them all over Slovakia. And if you want to get more out of every cup, come try your hand at brewing in our Barista Academy.
Where to go next on the map
Click any dot to open the story of another origin country — the number in the dot tells you how many of its coffees we’re roasting right now.
What you ask us
What does coffee from the Dominican Republic taste like?+
Juicy and elegant. The typical profile of our Barahona is built on ripe oranges, red grapefruit, a floral aroma and honey sweetness. For a Caribbean coffee, it is unusually lively and fresh.
What makes the Barahona region special?+
Barahona lies on the southwestern Caribbean coast of the Dominican Republic and is considered the country's finest coffee area. The coffee trees grow on the slopes of the Sierra de Bahoruco mountains in the shade of guama and amapola trees. The best beans from here carry the Barahona AA designation.
What does the Barahona AA designation mean?+
It is a Caribbean quality designation reserved for the best-graded beans from the Barahona region. It tells you the coffee has passed strict sorting by bean size and cleanliness. Our coffee from the Dominican Republic carries this designation.
Is Dominican coffee acidic?+
It has a bright but rounded acidity – the citrus notes feel fresh, not sharp. The honey sweetness keeps them in balance, so the cup is juicy yet smooth. Acidity here isn't a flaw but part of the character.