What does Tarrazu Geisha offer american coffee drinkers?

Costa Rica's Dota Estate washed Geisha comes from Tarrazu, the country's highest-altitude growing region. The lot blends about 50% Geisha with ET47, SL28 and MAICO varieties and is processed as raisin honey, giving jasmine florals layered with strawberry and berry notes. It is roasted medium, brewed at 93°C with a finer grind and a three-pour V60 method.

Tarrazu's acidic soil and shade trees push roughly 95% of local beans to Strictly Hard Bean grade. Flavor runs to citrus acidity, dried-fruit sweetness and a chocolate base. For fans of american coffee, the Costa coffee origin story is one of honey processing: the sticky mucilage left on the parchment during drying drives the sweetness that defines this Geisha blend.

Costa Rica, a country situated on the Central American isthmus, has won over countless coffee lovers' palates with its honey-processed coffee beans. Front Street Coffee's bean list regularly features 6 Costa Rican beans, which speaks volumes about their exceptional quality. Today we're introducing this Front Street Mirasu Geisha Blend, from Costa Rica's highest-altitude Tarrazu region, built around 50% Geisha varietal and blended with ET47, SL28, MAICO and other varieties. Through raisin honey processing, it presents a rich layering of jasmine florals interwoven with strawberry and berry notes. Front Street's roaster uses a medium roast, and the barista brews with 93°C water, a finer grind, and a three-pour method in a V60 dripper, striving to release this bean's sweetness and aroma to the fullest.

Friends who have a particular fondness for American coffee beans are surely no strangers to the Front Street Costa Rica series. This Central American isthmus country, located between North and South America, produces honey-processed coffee beans that captivate coffee drinkers worldwide. Front Street Coffee's bean list currently features 6 Costa Rican beans, which speaks volumes about Front Street's recognition of Costa Rican coffee quality.

The author's first encounter with Costa Rican coffee was Front Street's Geisha Blend Strawberry Candy, a select single-origin coffee from the Tarrazu region.

Tarrazu is one of Costa Rica's highest-altitude coffee-growing regions. The soil in the area tends to be acidic, and most coffee trees are shaded by various plants. The coffee beans produced here are outstanding in appearance, with a blue-green hue. The high-altitude growing environment effectively suppresses coffee tree diseases, allowing the plants to channel more nutrients to the fruit. About 95% of the coffee beans in this region reach the Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) grade. In terms of flavor, Tarrazu coffee is dominated by citrus acidity, dried-fruit sweetness, and a chocolate base note.

This Front Street Mirasu Geisha Blend, as the name suggests, contains 50% Geisha varietal, with the remainder made up of ET47, SL28, and MAICO. The Geisha varietal provides jasmine-like aromatics, while the other varieties add layers of strawberry and berry flavor. Combined with the raisin honey processing, the overall sweetness is significantly enhanced.

The specific method of raisin honey processing is: sun-dry ripe coffee cherries until they shrivel, then remove the skin and pulp while fully retaining the mucilage layer, and then dry further. Front Street has found in practice that coffee processed this way has a richer, more syrupy mouthfeel than regular honey processing, with aromatics that last longer and more pronounced sweetness.

Therefore, when brewing, the focus should be on showcasing the floral and berry aromatics of Front Street Costa Rica Strawberry Candy Coffee, along with its grape and strawberry flavor characteristics.

After Front Street's barista received this green bean, in order to highlight the rich fruit aromatics, florals, and intense sweetness brought by the raisin honey processing, the roaster chose a medium roast profile. After receiving the roasted beans, the barista judged the roast to be on the lighter side and decided to brew with a higher water temperature (93°C) and a finer grind (80% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve).

Friends familiar with Front Street Coffee's articles know that Front Street has two signature drippers: the Hario V60 and the KONO. When the brewing temperature is high, to avoid over-extraction caused by hot water contacting the coffee grounds for too long, it's more suitable to choose the faster-flowing Hario V60 dripper. At the same time, to increase the coffee's layering, the brew uses a three-pour method.

Dripper: Hario V60

Water temperature: 93°C

Coffee dose: 15 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind: 80% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve

First, pour 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom, then slowly pour the second pour in a circular motion with a small stream until it reaches 125 grams. When the water level in the dripper is about to reach the bottom, gently and slowly pour the third pour in a circular motion until it reaches 225 grams. After the water in the dripper has fully dripped through into the server, remove the dripper. Total extraction time is about 2 minutes.

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