What Makes Aquiares Estate Rainforest Alliance Coffee Beans Stand Out?

Hacienda Aquiares sits in Costa Rica's Turrialba region and is one of the country's largest coffee plantations. Founded in the late 19th century on volcanic slopes between two rivers, it is the birthplace of Centroamericano, the variety used as a competition bean at the 2017 World Barista Championship. The estate earned Rainforest Alliance certification as early as 2003/2004.

Aquiares grows Arabica varieties including Caturra, Catuai and Catimor, uses washed processing with sun-drying and mechanical drying, and produces roughly 15,000 bags a year. The cup shows nuts, caramel, plum, chocolate and a brown-sugar-cream finish, with bright fruit acidity and a smooth mouthfeel. About 1,800 residents depend on the farm, and nearly 500 hectares are kept as forest reserve.

Hacienda Aquiares, located in the Turrialba region of Costa Rica, is one of the largest coffee plantations in the country and the birthplace of Centroamericano, the competition bean used at the 2017 World Barista Championship (WBC). Founded in the late 19th century, this estate sits on volcanic slopes between two rivers, boasts abundant natural water sources and a pristine forest reserve, and obtained Rainforest Alliance certification as early as 2003/2004. The estate primarily cultivates Arabica varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Catimor, employing washed processing combined with sun-drying and mechanical drying, with an annual output of approximately 15,000 bags. Its coffee is known for a flavor profile of nuts, caramel, plum, chocolate, and a brown-sugar-cream finish, combining bright fruit acidity with a smooth mouthfeel. Front Street Coffee has specially compiled complete estate information to take you deeper into the terroir story behind this WBC competition bean.

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FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Aquiares Estate Information

Rainforest Alliance Certified Estate in Costa Rica, Central America — Aquiares Estate

Centroamericano — Central America Washed

2017 WBC World Barista Championship Competition Bean

Altitude: 1,250M (SHB)

Variety: Centroamericano

Flavor: Nuts, caramel, plum, chocolate, brown sugar, cream finish

【Beautiful Aquiares】

Aquiares Estate is the largest coffee estate in Costa Rica, covering over two thousand hectares, and it is precisely the source where the Centroamericano variety selected by Nomad is cultivated.

The estate was founded in 1890, located in Costa Rica's most fertile agricultural region, embraced by two rivers, with streams, waterfalls, and pristine forest scattered throughout the area, and coffee trees grow in such an environment. Approximately 1,800 residents in the local community depend on Aquiares Farm for their livelihood. The estate has designated nearly 500 hectares of land as a pristine forest reserve, officially obtained rainforest certification after 2003, and consistently produces coffee of exceptional quality each year.

Costa Rica — Aquiares Estate, the largest coffee estate and processing facility in Costa Rica, is renowned throughout Central America, has long been committed to environmental causes, holds multiple certifications including Rainforest Alliance, Starbucks, and German national certification, and its coffee sacks all bear the green frog logo.

Aquiares Estate in the Turrialba region of Costa Rica

The estate is one of the largest farms in Costa Rica, with a total area exceeding 917 hectares, of which 675 hectares are used for cultivating coffee and other local plants, and another 150 hectares are designated as a natural rainforest reserve. The estate is situated on the magnificent and fertile slopes of Turrialba Volcano, nestled between the Aquiares and Turrialba rivers, and not only has four natural springs but also 31 rivers providing abundant irrigation water. The estate employs 160 farmers year-round, increasing to 400 workers during harvest season. After obtaining Rainforest Alliance certification in 2003/2004, the estate purifies and restores wastewater generated during production and processing, achieving a more harmonious symbiotic relationship between the estate and the local ecosystem. Aquiares Estate produces only high-quality Arabica coffee beans, and the actual variety is entirely Caturra. Coffee trees are planted at elevations ranging from 2,690 feet to 4,265 feet, using contour planting to minimize soil erosion. Under the shade of numerous native tree species, the estate is seamlessly integrated into the regional flora and fauna ecosystem, coexisting harmoniously.

Product Name: FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Aquiares Estate

Growing Region: Turrialba

Grade: SHB EP

Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Catimor

Altitude: 900~1,200 m

Cultivation Area: 950ha

Annual Output: 15,000 bags

Harvest Period: December-March

Size: 16 and above, 80% reaching screen 17

Processing Method: Washed

Drying Method: Sun-drying combined with mechanical drying

Certification: Rainforest Alliance

Estate Name: Aquiares Estate

Region: Turrialba

Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Catimor

Altitude: 800~1300 meters

Processing Method: Washed, then sun-dried and mechanically dried

Grade: SHB

Certification: Rainforest Alliance

Aquiares' coffee-growing history dates back to the late 19th century. It is one of the largest coffee estates in Costa Rica and the first coffee estate to complete registration with the Costa Rican Coffee Institute.

The estate covers a total area exceeding 917 hectares, of which 675 hectares are planted with coffee trees and other plants, while the remaining 150 hectares serve as a natural rainforest reserve. Aquiares Estate is located on the volcanic slopes of Turrialba, where volcanic soil nourishes the coffee trees. The property contains multiple natural springs and has 31 rivers as irrigation water sources.

The estate is flanked by the Turrialba River and the Aquiares River, and the word "Aquiares" in the local indigenous language means "the area between two rivers." The Jesus Maria River runs through the estate, forming a waterfall 99 feet high due to the terrain drop, from which one can easily imagine the heavenly environment within the estate.

Coffee trees are planted at elevations ranging from 820 to 1300 meters.

Aquiares Coffee Estate obtained Rainforest Alliance certification in 2003/2004. The estate plants coffee trees along contour lines to minimize soil erosion, purifies and restores wastewater from green coffee processing to keep pollution to a minimum. The estate has preserved a fairly complete native forest, allowing the coffee trees growing within to coexist harmoniously with the local natural ecology in the most pristine conditions.

To maintain green bean quality, Aquiares Estate processes green beans only at its own processing facility, which also only processes coffee beans grown on the estate, completing every green bean processing step with extreme care and rigor.

Coffee beans produced by Aquiares Estate, nurtured in a superior growing environment, present a very bright fruit acidity, supple aroma, and a smooth, graceful mouthfeel.

The aroma resembles passion fruit, sweet with a touch of acidity; a floral note emerges in the mid-palate, and after cooling, it transforms into a ripe chocolate sweetness.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.