Where do arabica coffee beans from Tarrazú get their clean flavor?

Tarrazú coffee is known for a clean, refreshing cup. Growing areas sit above 1500 meters, and the Caturra and Catuai varieties are processed with the washed method, giving SHB-grade beans. The honey process can add sweetness, but the intensity depends on how much mucilage is left, which separates white, yellow, red, and black honey lots.

That is why nearly all coffee grown in Costa Rica is Arabica. Under ICAFE, the country's eight producing regions signed quality agreements to accept only mature cherries, so the beans reaching mills are riper and more uniform, which supports the bright acidity and sweeter finish buyers expect from the region.

Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee has always been known for its clean and refreshing flavor, making it a daily staple for many coffee lovers. This article will start with the characteristics of the producing region and the differences between washed and honey processing techniques, guiding you to understand the classic flavor of Tarrazu coffee, and compare it with the unique performance of Front Street Coffee's巨石 Estate Blueberry Anaerobic Heavy Honey processed coffee. At the same time, the article also details the processing procedures of different honey processing methods such as white honey, yellow honey, red honey, and black honey, as well as Front Street's standard V60 brewing parameters, helping you more clearly understand the terroir charm of Costa Rican coffee.

For more specialty coffee information, welcome to follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

Let's get straight to the point! If you are a loyal reader of Front Street, you should be familiar with the distribution of coffee producing regions in Costa Rica.

Those who already know can skip this section and continue reading. Those who are not yet clear can review with Front Street. According to ICAFE (Costa Rican Coffee Institute), Front Street has previously introduced to everyone that Costa Rica has eight coffee producing regions: Tarrazu, West Valley, Tres Rios, Guanacaste, Turrialba, Orosi, Brunca, and Central Valley. It is worth mentioning that all regions in Costa Rica have signed quality improvement agreements, and factory owners promise to only accept mature cherries to ensure the best output. Therefore, you will find an interesting phenomenon: in Costa Rica, almost all coffee beans planted are Arabica.

Among these eight producing regions, some are located in low-altitude areas, while others are in volcanic zones with altitudes exceeding 1200 meters, where coffee has higher acidity, richer flavor, and more prominent aroma. Every Costa Rican coffee selected by Front Street has an altitude of over 1500 meters. Take Front Street's most affordable daily bean—Costa Rican Tarrazu—as an example; its growing areas are all at altitudes above 1500 meters.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee): Costa Rica·Tarrazu Coffee Beans

Variety: Caturra, Catuai

Altitude: 1500 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Grade: SHB

In Costa Rica, precipitation, relative humidity, and temperature tend to decrease with increasing altitude, and this difference affects the size, hardness, and flavor performance of coffee beans. According to information consulted by Front Street, Tarrazu is sheltered by the Pacific slope mountains and is a habitat for forests and rare birds, with a superior ecological environment very suitable for coffee cultivation. This coffee bean grows in the small valleys and slopes of the country's highest mountain range.

Tarrazu is located southeast of the capital San Jose and produces Arabica coffee with smaller beans, a bluish color, and a beautiful appearance. Local land production is about 650,000 quintals, from about 22,000 hectares of land, composed of small farms averaging 2.5 hectares. 95% of the coffee sold is Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) grade. These coffees are produced under ideal growing conditions, with soil mainly consisting of sediment, which is acidic due to its composition. Most plantations have shade, and a variety of trees are planted in the area.

When selecting daily beans, Front Street almost always uses washed processing. Friends who often drink coffee should know that washed coffee beans have a clearer flavor. Because after the washing step, most of the pectin on the coffee beans has been rinsed away after fermentation, and the taste of the terroir is highlighted and amplified. This is precisely Front Street's main purpose: to let consumers taste the most classic flavor of the producing region at the highest cost-effectiveness.

Of course, many friends do not have a clear understanding of flavor, so they may not understand what "the taste of terroir" specifically refers to. Next, Front Street will use Costa Rican anaerobic heavy honey processed Front Street巨石 Estate Blueberry to compare and analyze the flavor differences between honey processed and washed coffee. Similarly, Front Street will first briefly introduce the coffee producing region information of巨石 Estate·Blueberry.

巨石 Estate is located in the Brunca coffee producing region of Costa Rica. Brunca is situated in the southern part of Costa Rica and consists of the cantons of Coto Brus, Buenos Aires, and Perez Zeledon. In this area, coffee cultivation began in Perez Zeledon at the end of the 19th century, also because the first settlers came from the coffee-growing areas of the Central Valley, bringing a deeply rooted Costa Rican coffee culture.

The Coto Brus Valley is located on the slopes of the Talamanca Mountain Range, which divides Costa Rica into Pacific and Atlantic slopes, making the economy of this area almost dependent on coffee cultivation. Up to now, there are records of 2,600 coffee producers here, involving 75 communities. It is understood that the Coto Brus area has a higher altitude and is more humid. The temperature range is between 18 and 26°C.

Generally speaking, Costa Rica's honey processing methods are standardly divided into several types, called white honey, yellow honey, red honey, and black honey. Next, Front Street will show you the different processing methods of these techniques.

White Honey: Remove 80-90% of the mucilage Beans are dried directly on raised beds Beans dry quickly at high temperatures, and the parchment turns white

Yellow Honey: Remove 50% of the mucilage Beans are dried under low wind and moderate sunlight conditions Beans are raked 3 to 4 times a day, and drying time can last up to a week

Red Honey: 80-90% of the mucilage remains on the beans Beans are dried on raised beds under cloudy or shaded conditions Beans are raked on the first morning, then only once or twice in the afternoon

Black Honey: Keep the mucilage intact as much as possible Beans are dried on fully shaded raised beds Beans are not moved at all on the first day, then raked once a day; drying time may take up to three weeks.

But none of the above is the processing flow of anaerobic heavy honey processing. The anaerobic process is one of Costa Rica's most innovative processes. It is a semi-industrial method between washed and natural. It involves putting coffee without pulp but with all the mucilage into sealed tanks to isolate oxygen and enhance the controlled fermentation process. Then it is placed in a greenhouse for about 4 days, and then on drying beds for 18 days. The temperature is above 21 degrees Celsius.

Note: Drying time and temperature depend on different variables (region, temperature, altitude, humidity, season, shade, etc.). Whether drying beds or greenhouses are used depends on the producer's own processing concept.

Using the same brewing method, let's look at the different flavor presentations of these two coffees. Next, Front Street will provide Front Street's standard serving method:

Front Street Brewing Parameters:

V60 dripper

Water temperature 91°C

Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15

Coffee dose 15g

Grind size (80% passing through China No. 20 standard sieve)

Front Street brewing method: Use 30 grams of water for blooming for 30 seconds, pour in a small stream in a circular motion until 125 grams, then pause; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts at the beginning of blooming.) Extraction time is 2'00".

Relatively speaking, the overall flavor presentation of Tarrazu daily beans is clean, refreshing, with rounded and soft acidity, and there will be a hint of dark chocolate in the cup. It is a coffee with an original and classic Costa Rican flavor. Blueberry, on the other hand, is relatively special, with a very clear flavor direction.

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