Costa Rica Yellow Honey Elsa Roca Catuai Coffee Beans: Differences, Distinctions, and Award Recognition

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Caturra Variety Characteristics

Caturra is suitable for cultivation from low altitudes of 700 meters to high altitudes of 1700 meters. It has strong altitude adaptability - the higher the altitude, the better the flavor, but the yield decreases accordingly, which is the destiny of fine coffee beans. Some in academia describe Caturra as an intensive, sun-exposed version of Bourbon, which is quite accurate. There is also a yellow Caturra (Caturra Amarello) variant in Central and South America, but its reputation is not as good as Yellow Bourbon.

When lightly roasted, Caturra exhibits distinct acidity and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can be exceptionally well-expressed, but compared to Bourbon, its body is relatively lighter and its cleanliness in mouthfeel is somewhat lacking.

Typically, Caturra produces red cherries, but in extremely rare regions, there are yellow Caturra varieties. For example, Hawaii grows very small quantities of yellow Caturra.

Pour-over Brewing Parameters

For pour-over yellow honey processed coffee: Use 15g of coffee grounds, medium grind (Fujiyama ghost tooth grinder setting 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed 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.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Dazhen Coffee FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
Address: No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Guangzhou
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: In-house roasted coffee
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Costa Rica
Coffee Type: Other
Roast Degree: Medium roast

Coffee Details

Costa Rica Helsar De Zarcero

Country: Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Region: West Valley
Roast Degree: Medium roast
Processing Method: Yellow Honey

Yellow Honey Processing

The yellow honey processing method involves removing about 40% of the mucilage. The drying process requires the most direct heat absorption, receiving maximum sunlight exposure for about 8 days until stable moisture content is achieved.

Cupping Profile

Costa Rican coffee has always been considered a classic example of perfect flavor profile - balanced, clean, and mild form its foundation. This batch from the Helsar processing plant in the West Valley region is renowned for its excellent natural geographical conditions and superior regional cultivation management techniques. It offers nearly perfect classic flavor with vibrant citrus acidity, blackberry fruit notes, rich acidity and mouthfeel, melon-like sweetness, smooth texture, stone fruit/subtle floral notes, and a significant coffee flower aroma in the aftertaste. It's a coffee full of Latin rural charm.

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Processing Plant: Helsar De Zarcero
Flavor Notes: Brown sugar, almond, black tea

Coffee Growing Heritage

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America where coffee was introduced for cultivation, with a long history and a complete system from production to sales. Located in the Central American Isthmus with numerous volcanoes, it enjoys natural advantages of sunshine and soil. Climate-wise, it benefits from the moderation of Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes. The coffee produced exhibits characteristics of local microclimate terroir. In terms of both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently received worldwide recognition and has been evaluated as one of the world's high-quality coffees.

The fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable abundant rainfall of Costa Rica's volcanic terrain are all factors that have made coffee one of the country's main agricultural products. The seven major producing regions are: Tarrzu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

Innovative Processing Methods

While Costa Rica has a long history of coffee cultivation, in the past decade or so, innovative "dry" processing methods have become popular. Collectively known as "honey processing," these new methods use pulping machines to adjust the degree of pulp removal, producing "honey sensation" that ranges from light to intense as colors progress from light to dark (white, yellow-red-white, yellow-red-black). Each level offers unique acidity, complex aromas, and rich body - each with its own merits and depth.

The Herbazu processing plant, located in the Naranjo region of the West Valley area, is highly renowned in this region. In addition to having its own coffee plantation estate, it also processes and produces green beans for nearby estates and small coffee farmers.

Flavor Characteristics

Flavor: Brown sugar, floral notes, almond, black tea, orange and sweet spice sensations, mild acidity, syrupy mouthfeel, excellent aftertaste.

Caturra Variety Details

Caturra is a single-gene variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Both its yield and disease resistance are superior to Bourbon, and the plant is shorter, making harvesting more convenient. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it suffers from biennial yield cycle problems. However, it has strong adaptability and doesn't require shade trees - it can thrive directly under intense sun exposure, earning it the name "Sun Coffee." It can adapt to high-density cultivation but requires more fertilization, increasing costs, so initial farmer acceptance was not high.

However, when coffee prices surged in the 1970s, farmers switched to Caturra to increase yields. With strong promotion from Brazilian and Colombian authorities, results were abundant. Farmer acceptance of Caturra meant a major transformation in cultivation techniques. Brazil and Colombia adopted high-yield, high-density sun-exposed cultivation methods. By 1990, one million hectares could harvest 14 million bags of coffee beans, a 60% increase in yield. No wonder high-yield, high-quality Caturra has become a variety that various producing countries now rely on heavily.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473