This article focuses on the Dota Goddess Estate in Costa Rica's Tarrazú region, offering an in-depth analysis of the unique charm of its Geisha variety. From the terroir of the origin, the estate's history, to the anaerobic enzyme washed processing method, and on to green bean analysis, roasting curves, and cupping and brewing, it presents the complete flavor profile of this coffee. The Front Street Coffee roaster adopts a high-temperature fast-roast strategy to highlight its rose aroma, lemon, and honey sweetness. For pour-over, a V60 dripper is recommended, using staged extraction, ultimately yielding a cup of refreshing, sweet fruit tea. [more…]

Located in the renowned Tarrazú region of Costa Rica, Dota Goddess Estate is famous for cultivating micro-lot Geisha varieties. The estate employs organic farming methods, using native trees for shade, and produces organic fertilizer from a mixture of coffee cherries and molasses, combined with California earthworms to improve the soil, developing a unique constant-temperature fermentation process. This article will take you deep into the Goddess Estate Geisha's origin background, variety lineage, washed processing flow, as well as the pour-over extraction recipe and flavor performance recommended by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), for a full experience of this bean's fresh charm woven with wild ginger flower and grapefruit. [more…]

Geisha and Yirgacheffe are actually the same type of coffee, transliterated from Japanese. This article begins with the red, green, and blue label classifications of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda, sorting out its strict quality control and auction lot standards, and tracing Geisha's legendary path from the forests of Ethiopia to Kenya, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and then to Panama, where it rose to fame. It also delves into Gesha Village to explain the variety differences between Gori Gesha and Gesha 1931, the meanings of the OMA and SURMA block numbers, and the traceability system for natural process lots. Finally, it presents complete information on three products launched by Front Street Coffee: Ethiopia Gesha Village Natural, Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Washed, and Costa Rica Tarrazú Dota Goddess Estate Geisha. [more…]

Costa Rica, a country nestled in the Central American isthmus, has conquered the taste buds of countless coffee lovers with its honey-processed coffee beans. Front Street Coffee's bean list features six Costa Rican beans year-round, which speaks volumes about their exceptional quality. Today we introduce this Front Street Mirasu Geisha Blend, from Costa Rica's highest-altitude Tarrazu region, centered on 50% Geisha variety, blended with ET47, SL28, MAICO and other varieties, processed as raisin honey, presenting rich layers of jasmine floral notes interwoven with strawberry berry flavors. Front Street's roaster uses a medium roast, and the barista uses a high temperature of 93°C, a finer grind, and a V60 dripper with a three-stage pour, striving to release the sweetness and aroma of this bean to the greatest extent. [more…]

Although Costa Rica is not a large country, it is a force to be reckoned with on the coffee map of Central America. As the world's fourteenth-largest coffee producer, it has seven regions each with its own terroir, among which Tarrazu is known for its high altitude, ample rainfall, and the nourishment of warm, moist Pacific air currents, and is also a concentration of Cup of Excellence (COE) award-winning estates. At the 2024 COE, Don Cayito won first place with 93.62 points, once again making this family estate the center of attention. This article will guide you through Costa Rica's coffee geography and take a deep dive into the Santa Maria de Dota area of Tarrazu, sorting out Don Cayito's variety structure, family management lineage, and COE track record over the years, while also including Front Street Coffee's recommendation information for this estate, as a reference for coffee lovers when making purchases. [more…]

Costa Rican coffee is famous for its rich aroma, cleanliness, and intense acidity, with the areas around the capital San José, as well as Heredia and Alajuela, being the main producing regions for high-quality coffee. Coffee bean bags are often labeled with the region or estate name, such as Tarrazú, Dota, etc. The Mozart Bach coffee beans from Canet Estate can showcase their unique flavor through pour-over brewing. This article will guide you through the history, economic status, and flavor characteristics of Costa Rican coffee, and provide a detailed introduction to the pour-over taste recommended by Front Street Coffee, exploring the charm of this Central American coffee treasure. [more…]

Costa Rican coffee was introduced from Cuba in 1779 and began to be exported in 1820, giving it a history of more than two hundred years. The country is dotted with volcanoes, and its climate is regulated by both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents, nurturing a classic coffee flavor that is balanced, clean, and mild. Among the seven major producing regions, Tarrazu is renowned for its outstanding geographical conditions and meticulous cultivation management. Finca Montanas del Diamante is located in the Dota Valley of Tarrazu, at an altitude of 1,750 to 1,850 meters, where it grows the Red Catuai variety, with the Gutierrez family managing 50 hectares of coffee plantations. This article will guide you through the cultivation background of Costa Rican coffee, the honey processing trend, and the flavor performance of Front Street Coffee's selected batch from Finca Montanas del Diamante. [more…]

The Tarrazu region of Costa Rica has long been famous for its balanced, clean classic flavors, while the red honey-processed strictly hard bean from Diamond Mountain Estate adds richer sweetness and layers on top of this classic profile. This article provides a comprehensive interpretation of this Front Street Coffee-selected Costa Rica Diamond Mountain high-grown strictly hard bean red honey coffee, from the region's terroir and the estate's background to the characteristics of the processing method and actual cupping performance, helping you understand why it can present a captivating combination of sweet jujube, brown sugar, caramel cocoa, and rounded acidity, while also offering a glimpse into the history of Costa Rica's coffee industry and the distribution of its seven major producing regions. [more…]

Costa Rica is a pioneer of coffee cultivation in Central America and has now ranked as the world's fourteenth-largest coffee producer. Surrounded by volcanoes and with a mild climate, it provides ideal conditions for coffee growing. Among its seven major production regions, Tarrazu is the most famous, drawing attention for its high altitude and outstanding performance in the Cup of Excellence (COE). Located in the Copey de Dota area of Tarrazu, Finca Voo sits at an altitude of 1,960 meters and belongs to Café Solís & Cordero S.A. In recent years, it has repeatedly achieved excellent results in COE competitions. Front Street Coffee will take you deep into the terroir of this highland production region and the story of Finca Voo's rise. [more…]

Costa Rica's Three Miracles Estate was founded through a collaboration between Camilo, the owner of Hacienda San Francisco, and the Facusse family of the Dinant Corporation. Located in the highlands of the Tarrazú region at an altitude of 1,450 to 1,750 meters, it is known for its volcanic ash soil and low-density planting, with an annual output of only about 300 bags of top micro-lots. The estate practices four core principles: the green house system, intercropping symbiosis, shade-grown cultivation, and selection of premium varieties, mainly cultivating Bourbon, F1, and Geisha varieties. Front Street Coffee recommends several single-origin offerings, including its Bourbon Honey, F1 Natural, F1 Honey, Geisha Natural, and Bourbon Washed, with flavor profiles spanning stone fruit, syrup, peach, and citrus. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the estate's background, variety characteristics, and processing method differences, and further introduces knowledge about Costa Rica's coffee industry and honey processing. [more…]

Hacienda San Isidro Labrador is located on the slopes of Santa María de Dota in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica, at an altitude of about 1,950 meters, with a microclimate featuring distinct dry and rainy seasons. The estate owner, John Monge Naranjo, is a third-generation coffee farmer who once switched careers to land surveying, and after retiring, he returned to the coffee business, now running it together with his son Matías, and in recent years they have achieved repeated success in COE auctions. This time, Front Street Coffee has acquired the estate’s honey-processed Geisha, with flavors of cherry, orange, yellow peach, floral notes, and oolong tea. The article will introduce the estate’s background, processing method, and cupping performance, and share Front Street Coffee’s medium-light roast recommendation and Hario v60 three-pour brewing parameters, letting you experience this bean’s juicy mouthfeel and elegant floral aroma. [more…]

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee for commercial value. Its high-altitude mountains, volcanic soil, and abundant rainfall have nurtured many well-known producing regions and estates. Among them, Tarrazu is the country's largest and most renowned coffee-producing region, and in 2019 it even obtained origin certification from the EU and WIPO under the name "Café de Tarrazú." This article will focus on El Cedro estate in the Tarrazu region, introducing its family background, microclimate environment, Geisha cultivation, and its multiple championship performances at the Cup of Excellence (COE), while also outlining the origins and craft evolution of honey processing in Costa Rica, and mentioning the Tarrazu entry-level selection in Front Street Coffee's everyday beans series. [more…]

Costa Rica is world-renowned for its unique natural environment and exquisite coffee processing techniques, especially the honey processing method, which gives coffee beans a distinctive sweetness and body. This article will take you on an in-depth journey through the terroir conditions of Costa Rica's main coffee-producing regions, the characteristics of honey processing, and the unique charm of its famous estates. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or planning a trip to Costa Rica, this article will provide you with practical reference. Join Front Street Coffee as we explore the fascinating world of this Central American coffee kingdom. [more…]

The 2024 Costa Rica COE competition washed category champion was won by Hacienda Santa Teresa with a score of 92.04. What exactly makes this estate, located in the Tarrazú production region, so unique? As a major coffee powerhouse in Central America, Costa Rica has seven distinctive production regions, among which the Los Santos area attracts much attention because of Tarrazú's fame. Hacienda Santa Teresa is situated in the high-altitude zone of the Cordillera Central at 1,900-2,050 meters, cultivating varieties such as Geisha, Sudan Rume, and Pacamara, and has long participated in the Blue Flag environmental certification program. This article will guide you through Costa Rica's coffee terroir, its production region divisions, and Hacienda Santa Teresa's progression from eighth place in the 2022 COE to champion in the 2024 washed category. Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products for you. [more…]

In the Bourbon coffee family, besides the common Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and the Pink Bourbon that has gained popularity in recent years, there are also some extremely rare members worth noting. Bourbon Rey is one of them, currently found only at the Dota Estate in Costa Rica. This coffee tree differs in form from common Bourbon varieties, and its beans are noticeably larger. Front Street Coffee brewed a pot of Bourbon Rey using an anaerobic honey process this time, employing staged extraction to showcase its flavor layers. This article will introduce the variety origin, plant characteristics, and actual brewing performance of Bourbon Rey, helping you get to know this little-heard Bourbon variant. [more…]

Located in the Los Santos region of Costa Rica, Cloud Mist Estate sits at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. With a century of history and a dedication to quality, it cultivates Geisha coffee with a uniquely distinctive flavor. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the terroir advantages of the Los Santos region, the cultivation philosophy and processing methods of Cloud Mist Estate, and focuses on the jasmine, mango, yellow apricot, coconut, and lactic flavors presented by the washed Geisha. At the same time, Front Street Coffee shares pour-over parameters and a three-stage pouring technique, taking you through the full experience of this high-altitude Geisha's vibrant acidity and sweet, lingering finish. [more…]

In the high-altitude mountains of Costa Rica, Cloud Mist Estate, with its unique terroir and meticulous processing methods, nurtures top-tier coffee varieties such as Geisha and Sudan Rume. This article will take you deep into the natural advantages of the Los Santos region, analyze the varietal origins of Geisha and Sudan Rume, and share brewing suggestions from Front Street Coffee. From historical context to processing techniques, from varietal characteristics to pour-over parameters, it presents the fascinating world of specialty coffee in every aspect. [more…]

In coffee cupping, sweetness is often the key to a higher score, and Costa Rica, with its diverse honey processing methods, has become a representative origin for high-quality sweetness. In this article, Front Street will focus on a red honey processed Catuai from Dawn Estate in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica, breaking down everything from the estate's story, the terroir of Tarrazu, and the characteristics of the Catuai variety to the details of red honey processing. The estate is located at an altitude of 1,750 meters, surrounded by pristine green belts, and practices ecological principles through meticulous plot management. Through cupping records, we will present the sweet orange, cream, grapefruit, honey, and black tea flavors this bean displays in dry aroma and slurping, and share its flavor performance under a medium-light roast. [more…]

Costa Rican honey-processed coffee has long been famous for its outstanding sweetness, and Hacienda El Mirador is one of the representatives of this style. This micro-estate, located in the Tarrazú region, sits in a valley at an altitude of 1,750 meters and mainly cultivates three varieties: Catuai, Ethíopia 47, and Geisha. The red honey-processed Catuai from Hacienda El Mirador that Front Street Coffee has acquired this time is presented as a medium-light roast and, in cupping, displays rich layers of sweet orange, cream, grapefruit, honey, and black tea. This article will guide you through the specific steps of red honey processing, as well as the cultivated varieties and estate story of Hacienda El Mirador, to explore the mystery of honey-processed sweetness together. [more…]

Tarrazú is Costa Rica's most prestigious coffee-producing region. It not only has the largest output and the highest altitude, but has also repeatedly achieved outstanding results in the Cup of Excellence (COE)—this year, 22 of the 30 award-winning coffees came from here. What makes it so special? From the historical foundation of being among the first to grow coffee in the 18th century, to the microclimate created by surrounding volcanoes and the regulating air currents from two oceans, and then to the grading advantage of 95% Strictly Hard Bean (SHB), Tarrazú combines favorable timing, geographical advantages, and human effort into one. In 2019, the Costa Rican government also specifically applied for protected designation of origin for "Café de Tarrazú." This article will take you deeper into Tarrazú's terroir code, well-known subregions and estates, as well as the flavor performance of Tarrazú currently sold by Front Street Coffee. [more…]