Costa Rica Tarrazú Otis Rock Yellow Honey Geisha Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estates

Introduction to Geisha Coffee

When it comes to Geisha coffee beans, many people are captivated by their wonderful floral aroma and rich fruit sweetness. In 2015, Panama Geisha created another sensation, leading many to mistakenly believe that Geisha is a coffee variety exclusive to Panama. However, this is not the case. The Geisha variety was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1931 and later, through a series of transplantations and cultivation, it found its place in other countries and regions.

Compared to Panama Geisha, Costa Rican Geisha offers a bit more richness. If Panama Geisha is like a fresh, light style, then Costa Rican Geisha belongs to a more reserved style.

Costa Rica's Coffee Growing Regions

Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus at 10°N latitude and 84°W longitude. It borders the Caribbean Sea to the east and the North Pacific Ocean to the west. Costa Rica is situated on the low-latitude volcanic belt of Central America, with the Central Plateau and mountainous regions ranging from 800 to 2000 meters in elevation, making it suitable for coffee cultivation.

Coffee from Costa Rica has always been famous for its extremely balanced, clean, and bright profile, with fruit-like berry acidity. Exceptional Costa Rican coffee exhibits spice and cocoa notes in its aftertaste. The country's most famous 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 Costa Rica's most famous and generally recognized finest coffee-producing region. Tres Rios is a renowned sub-region within the Tarrazu area. The most famous Costa Rican single-estate coffee in the specialty coffee world is La Minita estate in the Tarrazu region, with an annual production of only 160,000 pounds.

Brewing Method

Hand-poured yellow honey process. 15g of coffee, medium-fine grind (using Fuji's 3.5 setting), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour with 30g of water for 27 seconds pre-infusion, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Coffee Details

Costa Rica Tarrazzu Honey Geisha

• Country: Costa Rica
• Grade: SHB
• Region: Tarrazu
• Roast Level: Light roast
• Processing Method: Honey process

Honey Process Details

The honey process involves drying the coffee beans with the mucilage (pectin) remaining after removing the fruit skin and pulp. The key distinction between different honey processes lies in this remaining mucilage: the proportion of mucilage retained, drying time, and drying method.

Characteristics of the Honey Process:

During harvesting, sugar content is tested first, and only coffee cherries with 21-22% sugar content are picked. Unlike other processing methods, honey process requires drying on African beds. If dried directly on cement or soil surfaces, the beans can easily get scratched during turning, leading to bacterial contamination. Direct soil sun-drying can also impart earthy flavors to the coffee beans.

Taste Differences Between Honey and Washed Processing:

Compared to washed processing, honey process yields higher sweetness, greater sugar content, and relatively more body (under the same roast level).

Honey-processed beans require good ventilation during drying; otherwise, the retained mucilage can easily ferment or mold, causing unpleasant odors.

Common honey process methods we typically see include: Yellow Honey, Red Honey, and Black Honey.

• Variety: Geisha
• Processing Plant: Otis Granite Processing Plant
• Flavor Notes: Floral tea, rose hip, green grape flavors

Costa Rica's Meil processing method (also known as honey process) is unique. Old Li only recently got these Costa Rican red honey-processed beans, prompting him to research the unique methods of Costa Rica's Meil processing.

Otis Granite Estate Introduction

Costa Rica's Otis Granite Processing Plant is an emerging estate in Costa Rica. The family cooperative was established in 1994, but it wasn't until 2005 that they created their own processing plant, which now has 17 years of history. The Otis Granite Processing Plant is located about 5km north of San Marcos town in Tarrazu, overseeing ten coffee estates including Yano Estate, with elevations distributed across 1500-2000 meter slopes, all classified as SHB highest grade.

Otis 2000-Meter Estate Geisha - Golden Honey Process

Flavor: The dry aroma features delicate spring tea fragrance mixed with hints of orange peel and chocolate, floral tea, rose hip, green grape flavors, gradually revealing lemon and peach juicy sweetness as temperature changes. The aftertaste is orange chocolate.

Product Information

Factory: Coffee Workshop
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 100g
Package Type: Bulk coffee beans
Roast Level: Coffee beans (roasted)Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Costa Rica
Roast Degree: Light roast

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473