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The Story and Origins of Costa Rican Natural Process Vuelta Sachi Specialty Coffee Beans from Tank Estate

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, For professional barista exchanges, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). Its three most famous origins are Tarrazú, located south of Costa Rica's capital San José, as well as the Central Valley and Western Valley production areas. Natural processing is a very traditional method that uses the fewest resources, but because there are too many uncontrollable factors, doing it well is extremely

For professional barista exchanges, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

The three most famous origins are Tarrazú, located south of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, as well as the Central Valley and Western Valley growing regions. Natural processing is a very traditional method that uses minimal resources, but due to too many uncontrollable factors, achieving excellent results is extremely difficult. Francesca introduced many innovations, such as using a Brix meter, commonly equipped in the wine industry, to measure the sugar content of the fruit. She determines the optimal harvest timing and processing method based on Brix sugar content, with only cherries exceeding 20% sweetness being selected for natural processing. The Brix values for general fruits are: apples at 14, lemons at 12, passion fruit at 18, but La Haze's coffee cherries can reach 21-22%. La Haze not only produces natural and honey-processed beans but also washed beans. The farm grows varieties including Caturra, Catuai, Villa Sarchi, and has also introduced small amounts of Kenyan varieties such as SL28, Obata, and others.

Brewing Method

Hand-poured Villa Sarchi: 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji mountain burr grinder setting 4), V60 filter cup, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water, let bloom for 27 seconds. Continue pouring to 105g, pause until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Discard the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Coffee Information

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Region: Central Valley

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Processing Method: Natural Process

Variety: Villa Sarchi

Estate: El Tanque

Flavor Notes: Lime, Caramel, Nuts

Quality Classification

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 their grading system. Strictly Hard Beans grow at altitudes above 1500 meters, and altitude has always represented the quality of coffee - higher altitude means better quality. Additionally, the high altitude difference 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.

Processing Details

The natural processing process is quite labor-intensive. Hand-harvested high-sugar cherries are first placed on African raised beds for about 10 days of sun drying, then moved to greenhouses covered with plastic sheets to create more direct heat energy for continuous drying until the moisture content reaches 11.5%. The slow drying process allows green beans to develop more natural sweetness from within, but it also requires more careful attention and precise calculation of turning frequency. Finally, when the bright red cherries turn black and emit aromas of fruit cake, caramel, and even sherry wine, the process is complete.