The Correct Way to Drink Costa Rica Yellow Honey Coffee & Costa Rica Coffee Bean Prices

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Caturra Variety Overview

Caturra is suitable for cultivation at altitudes ranging from 700 meters to 1,700 meters. It demonstrates strong altitude adaptability, with flavor quality improving at higher elevations while yield decreases correspondingly—this is the inevitable fate of specialty coffee beans. Academic circles sometimes describe Caturra as an intensive, sun-exposed version of Bourbon, a characterization that hits the mark precisely. In Central and South America, there is also a yellow Caturra variant (Caturra Amarello), but its reputation does not match that of Yellow Bourbon.

When lightly roasted, Caturra exhibits distinct acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can be exceptionally well-expressed. However, compared to Bourbon, Caturra has relatively lower body and somewhat lacks in cleanliness of mouthfeel.

Typically, Caturra cherries are red, but in extremely rare regions, yellow Caturra can be found. For instance, Hawaii cultivates a very small amount of yellow Caturra.

Product Information

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

Costa Rica Helsar De Zarcero

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

Yellow Honey Processing: Approximately 40% of mucilage is removed; drying requires the most direct heat absorption, receiving maximum sunlight exposure for about 8 days until moisture content stabilizes.

Costa Rican coffee has always been considered a classic example of perfect flavor—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 presents nearly perfect classic flavor with lively citrus acidity, blackberry fruit notes, substantial acidity and mouthfeel, melon-like sweetness, smooth texture, stone fruit/subtle floral notes, and a remarkable coffee flower fragrance in the aftertaste—a coffee full of Latin countryside charm.

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

Costa Rican Coffee Heritage

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America where coffee was introduced for cultivation, boasting 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 abundant sunlight and fertile land. The climate is moderated by Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes, producing coffee with characteristics unique to local microclimate terroirs. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently received global recognition and has been rated as one of the world's high-quality coffees.

The fertile volcanic ash from Costa Rica's volcanic terrain, moderate and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall 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.

While Costa Rica has a long history of coffee cultivation, in the past decade or so, the innovative "dry" processing method has become popular. Collectively known as "honey processing," this new technique uses pulp removers 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 with varying acidity, complex aromas, and richness—each with its own merits and depth. The Herbazu processing plant, located in the Naranjo region of West Valley, enjoys high recognition in this area. Besides having its own coffee plantation, it also processes and produces green beans for nearby estates and small coffee farmers.

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

Caturra Variety Characteristics

Caturra is a single-gene variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Both its yield and disease resistance are superior to Bourbon, and it has shorter plants that facilitate harvesting. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it suffers from biennial yield cycles. However, its strong adaptability allows it to thrive without shade trees, growing vigorously under direct sun exposure, earning it the name "Sun Coffee." It can adapt to high-density planting but requires more fertilizer, increasing costs, which initially led to low acceptance among coffee farmers.

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

Brewing Recommendations

Hand-poured yellow honey preparation. Use 15g of coffee, ground medium (Fuji Rokusuke grinder #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 before continuing to pour slowly until reaching 225g total. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio of 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473