Costa Rica Tarrazú San Román Washed Specialty Coffee Bean: Grading, Pricing, Green Beans, and Roast Level

Costa Rica's output is not large, at about 110,000 tons a year, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The country focuses on newer varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo, while the older Bourbon and Typica are rare. Several local variants have also been developed, the most famous being the Bourbon variant Villalobos, known for its elegant flavour profile; Brazil has introduced and cultivated it too, and it has won awards. Costa Rican research institutions have also worked relentlessly to improve the hybrid Catimor, aiming to reduce its Robusta lineage while enhancing its Arabica flavour. In recent years it has been exported to Asia for trial cultivation.

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

Hand-poured Costa Rican San Roman: 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji Royal grinder with ghost teeth, setting 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly to 225g, avoiding the tail section. Coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

San Roman Processing Plant primarily uses the washed method and is renowned for producing intense, rich, full-bodied coffee. Cherries are hand-sorted, with farmers removing overripe or unripe fruit before processing. A 3-disc Aagaarde pulper removes the skin and pulp, after which machines sort the beans by density into three grades. Grade 1 and 2 green beans are fermented separately, while Grade 3 consists of lower-quality beans. The green beans ferment in a cool place for about 24-36 hours. After fermentation, the beans are washed and re-sorted by density in the washing channels, then soaked overnight in clean water. Once processed and roasted, the bittersweet chocolate flavour combines with a creamy, thick sweetness reminiscent of toffee, blending with subtle wine-like acidity. The aromatic quality and fruit-like sweetness of the chocolate beans make for an unforgettable cup.

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

Costa Rica San Roman Processing Plant Royal Coffee

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Altitude: 1700M

Region: Tarrazú Region

Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast

Processing Method: Washed Process

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Processing Plant: San Roman Processing Plant

Flavor Profile: Berry aroma, caramel, cream, subtle spices

The best Costa Rican coffees seem to come from small processing plants scattered across the main growing regions, Tarrazú and West Valley among them. This so-called coffee revolution began 15 years ago and dramatically changed how roasters and importers view Costa Rican coffee. Centred on processing plants that collect beans from surrounding small farms—typically small communities or family operations growing coffee on their own plots—all the coffee is processed and dried by a single small plant. The quality and flavour of Royal Coffee are quite distinctive, largely thanks to cooperation between coffee producers and our company.

Coffee cultivation was introduced to Costa Rica from Cuba in 1779, with the first exports beginning in 1820. Today there are about 32,000 coffee farmers, with an average cultivation area of less than one hectare (10,000 m²) each. Costa Rica's population is 4.1 million (2006), with coffee covering 82,500 hectares. Annual production reaches 1.7 million bags (60kg per bag), with domestic annual consumption of 380,000 bags. Average per capita consumption is 5.5kg, higher than Japan's 4kg, while Taiwan's average is only slightly above 1kg.

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to introduce coffee cultivation, with a long history and a complete system from production to sales. Sitting on the Central American isthmus, the country has numerous volcanoes and natural advantages of sunshine and soil. The climate is moderated by Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes, producing coffee with characteristics unique to the local microclimate and terroir. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently won global recognition and is rated among the world's finest. Costa Rican coffee cultivation has a two-hundred-year history, originally planted on the slopes of the Poas and Barva volcanoes in what is now the Central Valley region. The seven main growing regions run from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau.

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee

Shelf Life: 30 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Taste: Aromatic and mellow

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.

Coffee cultivation is regarded as a relatively high-status profession in Costa Rica, and coffee farmers hold a respected place in society. In 1897, citizens of the capital witnessed the inauguration of the National Theater, donated by coffee wealth. Coffee wealth brought stability to Costa Rica's politics, economy, and democracy—a rarity among Central American countries. Costa Rica also has laws permitting only Arabica cultivation, making Robusta a "prohibited substance" within its borders—a unique initiative in the world.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A medium-dark, chocolatey, wine-accented cup like this one pairs naturally with Brazil, whose coffees anchor the same flavour family. For an easy introduction to the Brazilian profile, FrontStreet Coffee's Cerrado Red Bourbon is a classic single origin from the well-known Cerrado region; grown from the common South American Red Bourbon, medium roasted, it shows cream, peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut, with a rounded body, low acidity, and a light bitter note. It brews as pour-over and also works in a moka pot, as an espresso SOE, in a siphon, or in a French press.

For something a step up in site and variety, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen's Estate comes from Mogiana near South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil helps the fruit absorb nutrients and develop fuller aroma. Its variety is the rare Yellow Bourbon, a genetic mutation of Red Bourbon with a cleaner fruit character, and it delivers a sugarcane sweetness other regions rarely show, alongside fruit and chocolate. Brazil's low-acid, balanced profile and friendly price also make it the first choice for many espresso recipes: FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend with its rich crema, the nutty Premium Blend, the balanced Black Cocoa Blend, and FrontStreet Coffee's Commercial Blend for cafés all contain Brazilian coffee, which contributes chocolate and cream aromas, a gentle sweet-sour-bitter balance, and greater extraction stability.

To get the most from these beans, brew them as you would this San Roman: a V60 at 88-89°C, 15g of coffee at a 1:15 ratio, a medium grind around #4 on a ghost-tooth grinder, a 30g bloom for 27 seconds, then water to 105g, a pause, and a slow finish to 225g for a total extraction of about 2:00.