The Story and Legacy of Costa Rica Black Honey Catuai Tarazu Finca La Minita Specialty Coffee Beans

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Costa Rican Coffee Excellence

Although Costa Rica has gained recognition from coffee connoisseurs through its honey-processed coffee beans, this is inseparable from Costa Rica's superior geographical and climatic conditions, as well as the exclusive cultivation of Arabica varieties. Costa Rica's premium coffee beans are known as "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) in descending quality order, which also serves as its grading system. Strictly Hard Beans grow at elevations above 1,500 meters, and altitude has always represented the quality of coffee—higher altitude means better quality. Additionally, the high altitude variation creates abundant rainfall, which is very beneficial for coffee tree growth. Moreover, the low nighttime temperatures at high altitudes slow down tree growth, allowing coffee cherries to absorb more nutrients, resulting in richer coffee flavors.

Black Honey Pour-Over Method

Hand-poured black honey: 15g of coffee, medium grind (using Fuji's ghost tooth blade grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water, bloom for 27 seconds, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing to pour slowly until reaching 225g. Discard the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Premier Growing Regions

Its three most famous growing regions are Tarrazú, located south of Costa Rica's capital San José, as well as the Central Valley and Western Valley regions. Among these are distributed many excellent independent estates, all carefully cultivating more refined washed and honey-processed coffee beans. Let us look forward to more honey-processed coffee surprises from Costa Rica.

Honey Processing Methods

The honey processing methods we commonly see are: Yellow Honey, Red Honey, and Black Honey.

Yellow Honey

About 40% of the mucilage is removed; the drying method requires the most direct heat absorption, receiving maximum sunlight for drying, taking about 8 days to reach stable moisture content.

Red Honey

About 25% of the mucilage is removed; compared to Yellow Honey, the drying time is longer, with reduced direct sun exposure time, sometimes using shade nets, lasting about 12 days.

Black Honey

Almost no mucilage is removed; drying takes the longest time, at least 2 weeks, using coverings to avoid excessive sunlight, preventing too-rapid drying and allowing more thorough sugar conversion.

Flavor Profile

Flavor Notes: Preserved plum, honey, brown sugar, orange blossom, white chocolate

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

Farm Details

This batch of black honey processed coffee from Finca La Minita comes from Costa Rica's famous Tarrazú region. Although the development of specialty coffee started relatively late, Costa Rica's specialty coffee industry has developed rapidly. With the gentle fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel, and sweet, high-quality berry flavors of honey-processed coffee, it has become a force to be reckoned with. Black honey processing retains about 80% of the mucilage, with the most obvious difference being that from Yellow to Red to Black honey, each becomes progressively sweeter. Combined with richer fruit notes, it has deeply won the favor of coffee connoisseurs.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Cafe Workshop
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qianjie, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City
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

Coffee Specifications

Country: Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Region: Tarrazú
Roast Level: Medium roast
Processing Method: Black honey process
Variety: Catuai
Estate: Finca La Minita
Flavor: Preserved plum, honey, brown sugar

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473