Costa Rica Natural Process Tank Estate Villasarchi Specialty Coffee Bean Growing Conditions, Geographical Location, and Climate

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Region: Central Valley

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Variety: Villa Sarchi

Estate: El Tanque

Flavor: Lime, Caramel, Nuts

Costa Rican Coffee Excellence

Costa Rica's premium coffee is graded "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) in descending order of quality, and this doubles as the national grading system. Strictly Hard Bean grows above 1,500 meters, and altitude has always stood in for quality here: higher ground means better coffee. The steep elevation drop also brings abundant rainfall, which benefits the trees, while the cool nighttime temperatures at high altitude slow growth so the cherries absorb more nutrients, giving richer flavour.

Famous Growing Regions

Costa Rica's three most famous growing regions are Tarrazú, south of the 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 it is extremely difficult to do well. Francesca has introduced many innovations, such as using a Brix meter, standard equipment in the wine industry, to measure the sugar content of the cherries. She decides the optimal harvest time and processing method from the Brix reading: only cherries with more than 20% sugar content are processed as natural. For comparison, general fruits measure about 14 for apples, 12 for lemons and 18 for passion fruit, while La Hais's coffee cherries reach 21-22%. La Hais produces natural, honey and washed coffees, and grows Caturra, Catuai and Villa Sarchi, along with small amounts of Kenyan varieties such as SL28 and Obata.

Natural Processing Technique

Natural processing is quite labour-intensive. Hand-picked high-sugar cherries are first laid on African raised beds to sun-dry for about 10 days, then moved into greenhouses covered with plastic sheeting to create more direct heat, drying continues until moisture content reaches 11.5%. This slow drying lets the raw beans develop more natural sweetness from within, but it also demands careful attention and precise control of turning frequency. When the bright red cherries finally turn black and give off aromas of fruit cake, caramel and even sherry, the process is complete.

Flavor: Lime, Caramel, Nuts

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

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qianjie, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
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 Level: Medium Roast

Costa Rica Central Valley El Tanque Villa Sarchi Natural

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the sun-dried sweetness of this Costa Rican lot is what you enjoy, FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Red Cherry is the same idea from Ethiopia's most famous washed region. Only fully ripe cherries are picked, spread on raised beds away from the ground so insects, dust and bacteria do not reach them, and turned at intervals so they dry evenly. After a light-medium roast, it shows elegant florals and bright acidity alongside pronounced tropical fruit, a full fermented quality and sweetness.

For a heavier, more wine-like natural, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Huakui comes from Hambella in Guji, Sidamo, where ripe cherries dry on raised beds for 21 days and are turned regularly, with defects hand-sorted out every three to five days. Roasted light-medium, it delivers a light wine-like ferment, florals, citrus and mango, with honey sweetness, a cocoa edge and a touch of spice, a thick body and a long finish.

If you want the fruit pushed even further, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Sidra uses a double anaerobic natural process, fermenting the whole cherries in sealed tanks with carbon dioxide injected to displace oxygen before drying on beds. The reduced oxygen slows sugar breakdown in the mucilage and keeps pH from falling as fast, giving the beans higher sweetness, more complex flavour and a silkier texture: passion fruit, apricot, dried fruit, grape and an almond note.