Costa Rica Tarrazú San Román Washed Specialty Coffee Beans: Flavor Characteristics, Growing Region, and Brewing Parameters

Costa Rican Coffee Excellence: Tarrazu Region

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The country's most renowned major growing region is Tarrazu, near the capital San José. The Tarrazu region has the highest average latitude and excellent climate and soil conditions, making it the most famous and widely recognized excellent coffee-producing region in Costa Rica. Tres Rios is a famous sub-region within the Tarrazu area. The most renowned Costa Rican single-estate coffee in the specialty coffee world is La Minita estate from the Tarrazu region, with an annual production of only 160,000 pounds.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Method

FrontStreet Coffee's hand-poured Costa Rican San Roman. 15g of coffee, medium grind (using Fuji's ghost tooth grinder at setting 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour with 30g of water, let bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and pause, wait until the water level drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Discard the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

San Roman Processing Factory

San Roman Processing Factory primarily uses the washed processing method and is famous for producing coffee with intense, rich flavors and solid texture. Coffee cherries are hand-sorted, with farmers removing overripe or unripe cherries before processing. A 3-disc Aagaarde machine is used to remove the skin and pulp, then the beans are sorted by density into three grades. Grade 1 and 2 beans are fermented separately, while Grade 3 consists of lower-quality beans. The raw beans are fermented in a cool place for about 24-36 hours, then cleaned and re-sorted by density in the washing channels. Finally, the beans are randomly soaked in clean water overnight. After processing and roasting, the bittersweet chocolate flavors blend with creamy, fudge-like sweetness, complemented by subtle wine-like acidity. The enticing aroma and fruity sweetness of chocolate beans leave a lasting impression.

Costa Rica's Coffee Growing Regions

The volcanic terrain of Costa Rica provides fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—all factors contributing to coffee being one of the country's main agricultural products. The seven major growing regions are: Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica San Roman Royal Coffee

Costa Rica San Ramon Royal Coffee

• Country: Costa Rica
• Grade: SHB
• Altitude: 1700M
• Region: Tarrazu
• Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast
• Processing Method: Washed
• Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
• Processing Factory: San Roman Processing Factory
• Flavor Notes: Berry aroma, caramel, cream, subtle spices

The Costa Rican Coffee Revolution

The best Costa Rican coffees seem to come from small processing factories scattered throughout the main coffee-growing regions, including Tarrazu and West Valley. This so-called coffee revolution began 15 years ago and has dramatically changed how roasting experts and importers view Costa Rican coffee. Centered around processing facilities that collect and process coffee beans from surrounding small farms, these farms are typically small communities or family operations growing coffee on their own small plots of land. All of this coffee is processed and dried by a single small processing factory. The quality and flavor of FrontStreet Coffee's Royal Coffee are exceptionally unique, largely thanks to the cooperation between coffee producers and ourselves.

Costa Rican Coffee History

Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica was introduced from Cuba in 1779, with the first coffee exports occurring in 1820. Today, there are approximately 32,000 coffee farmers, with an average cultivation area of less than one hectare (10,000㎡) per farmer. Costa Rica's population is 4.1 million (2006), with coffee cultivation covering 82,500 hectares. Annual production is 1.7 million bags (60kg each), domestic annual consumption is 380,000 bags, and average per capita consumption is 5.5kg—higher than Japan's 4kg and significantly more than Taiwan's current average of just over 1kg.

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to introduce coffee cultivation, with a long history and a complete organizational system from production to sales. Located in the Central American isthmus with numerous volcanoes, the country benefits from natural advantages of sunshine and land. The climate is moderated by Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes, producing coffee with characteristics unique to local microclimate conditions. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently received world recognition and is rated as one of the world-class high-quality coffees. Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica has a two-hundred-year history, initially planted on the slopes of Poas and Barva volcanoes in what is today called the Central Valley region. The seven main coffee-growing regions are distributed from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau.

Costa Rican Coffee Culture

Product Information:
Brand: FrontStreet Coffee
Address: Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Contact: 020-38364473
Shelf Life: 30 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste: Aromatic coffee beans
Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Costa Rica
Coffee Type: Costa Rican coffee
Roast Level: Medium roast

Flavor Description: Berry aroma, caramel, cream, subtle spices.

Due to coffee cultivation being a relatively advanced profession in Costa Rica, coffee farmers hold a respected position in society. In 1897, citizens of the capital witnessed the inauguration of the National Theater, donated by wealthy coffee magnates. Coffee wealth brought stability to Costa Rica's politics, economy, and democracy—uncommon among Central American countries. Additionally, Costa Rica has laws that only allow the cultivation of Arabica coffee, with Robusta being considered "contraband" within its borders—a pioneering initiative unique in the world.

Costa Rican Coffee Production

Costa Rica's production is not large, with an annual output of about 110,000 tons, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The country primarily focuses on recent coffee varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo, while ancient Bourbon and Typica varieties are less common. Several local variants have also been developed, the most famous being the Bourbon variant Villalobos, known for its elegant flavor profile. Brazil has also introduced and cultivated this variety, which has won awards. Additionally, Costa Rican research institutions have worked tirelessly to improve the hybrid Catimor, attempting to reduce the Robusta lineage while enhancing Catimor's Arabica flavor characteristics. In recent years, these varieties have been exported to Asia for trial cultivation.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473