Costa Rica Natural Tank Estate Villa Sarchi Premium Coffee Beans Grind Size Roast Level Processing Method

Premium Costa Rican coffee is graded "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) as quality descends. The same system doubles as the country's grading method. SHB beans grow above 1,500 meters, and altitude has always been a key indicator of coffee quality — higher elevation means a better cup. The steep drop in elevation also brings abundant rainfall, which suits coffee trees well. On top of that, the cool nighttime temperatures up high slow the trees' growth, letting the cherries take in more nutrients and develop richer flavor.

The three most famous producing regions are Tarrazú, south of Costa Rica's capital San José, along with the Central Valley and Western Valley. Natural processing is a very traditional method that uses minimal resources, but with so many uncontrollable factors, getting excellent results is extremely difficult. Francesca has introduced a number of innovations, such as using a Brix meter (standard equipment in the wine industry) to measure the sugar content of the cherries. She decides the best harvest time and processing method from that Brix reading — only cherries above 20% sugar go to natural processing. For comparison, typical fruit Brix values are apples at 14, lemons at 12, and passion fruit at 18, while La Haze's coffee cherries can reach 21-22%. La Haze turns out not only natural and honey-processed coffee but washed coffee as well. The farm grows varieties including Caturra, Catuai, and Villa Sarchi, and has also introduced small quantities of Kenyan varieties such as SL28 and Obata.

Natural processing is quite labor-intensive. Hand-picked high-sugar cherries are first laid on African raised beds to sun-dry for about 10 days, then moved into a greenhouse covered with plastic sheeting to trap more direct heat and keep drying until moisture content reaches 11.5%. This slow drying lets the green beans build more natural sweetness from within, but it also demands meticulous care and precise calculation of how often to turn them. When the bright red cherries finally turn black and give off aromas of fruit cake, caramel, and even sherry, the process is complete.

Flavor Profile

Flavor: Lime, caramel, nuts

Mouthfeel: Excellent sweetness, gentle fruit acidity, round and full-bodied, persistent aftertaste

Product Information

Ingredients: House-roasted

Shelf Life: 90 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk coffee beans

Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Costa Rica

Roast Degree: Medium roast

Costa Rica West Valley Monte Solis El Tanque Villa Sarchi Natural

Coffee Specifications

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Region: West Valley

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing Method: Natural processing

Variety: Villa Sarchi

Estate: El Tanque Estate

Flavor: Lime, caramel, nuts

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the slow, fruit-driven side of this El Tanque natural appeals to you, it is worth tasting how much cleaner a washed coffee can be. In washed processing the cherries are floated, pulped, fermented to break down the mucilage, washed or soaked again, dried, and finally hulled. Sitting in water for so long drives chemical changes inside the bean and burns through much of its simple sugar — fructose and glucose — so the finished coffee carries less sugar but more organic acids. The result keeps more of the bean's own aroma while adding a bright, clean, refreshing acidity. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Cherry Tomato is a classic example: Kenya is known for double washing, running the beans through the wash a second time, so the juice-like character comes through at full strength, with notes of cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear, black plum, and yellow sugar, and a sweet-tart, juicy body.

For a more floral, tea-like take on the same clean style, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Yuzu Ding Ding comes from the Yuzu Ding Ding village cooperative in Ethiopia. Because local farmers work on a small scale, they send their cherries to the cooperative for centralized processing, and that washed method shows off jasmine florals and a bright citrus acidity to the fullest; lightly roasted, it opens into green tea and honey. It works well as pour-over, cold brew, or espresso.