Costa Rica San Roman Coffee Brands and Costa Rica Coffee Brewing Steps

Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica began in 1779 with plants introduced from Cuba, and the first coffee export followed in 1820. Today there are roughly 32,000 coffee farmers, with an average cultivation area of less than one hectare (10,000㎡) each. Costa Rica's population stood at 4.1 million (2006), with coffee covering 82,500 hectares and an annual production of 1.7 million bags (60kg each). Domestic consumption runs about 380,000 bags a year—5.5kg per capita annually, higher than Japan (4kg) and far above Taiwan's just-over-1kg average.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf Life: 30 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste: Mellow and aromatic
Coffee Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Costa Rica
Coffee Type: Costa Rica coffee
Roast Level: Medium roast

Flavor Profile

Berry aroma, caramel, cream, with subtle spices.

Costa Rican Coffee Heritage

Costa Rica was the first Central American country to grow coffee, with a long history and a complete system running from production to sale. Sitting on the Central American isthmus studded with volcanoes, the country enjoys natural advantages of sunshine and soil; its climate is moderated by Pacific and Atlantic currents and sea breezes, producing coffees that reflect local microclimates and terroir. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has earned consistent global recognition as one of the world's premium coffees. Across two centuries of cultivation—first planted on the slopes of the Poas and Barva volcanoes in what is now the Central Valley—its seven main growing regions stretch from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau.

Coffee farming is considered a prestigious profession in Costa Rica, and growers enjoy high social standing. In 1897, the capital's citizens witnessed the inauguration of the National Theater, funded by coffee wealth. That wealth brought Costa Rica a political, economic, and democratic stability rare among Central American nations. Remarkably, Costa Rica even has laws permitting only Arabica cultivation—Robusta counts as "contraband" within its borders, a world-first initiative.

Costa Rica's output is modest, about 110,000 tons a year, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The country favors newer varieties such as Catuai, Catimor, and Mundo Novo, with old varieties like Bourbon and Typica less common. It has also developed local varieties, most famously the Bourbon-derived Villa Sarchi, prized for its elegant profile—Brazil has introduced and award-winningly cultivated it too. Costa Rican research institutions have also worked hard to improve the Catimor hybrid, seeking to dilute its Robusta lineage while strengthening its Arabica character; in recent years these have been exported to Asia for trial cultivation.

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

The San Ramon mill works primarily with washed processing and is famous for coffees of intense, rich flavor and solid mouthfeel. Cherries are hand-sorted by the farmers, who remove overripe or unripe fruit before processing. A 3-disc Aagaarde pulper strips skin and pulp, after which the beans are density-sorted into three grades: grades 1 and 2 ferment separately, while grade 3 holds the lower-quality beans. The green beans ferment in a cool place for about 24-36 hours, then are washed and re-sorted by density in the washing channels, then soaked overnight in clean water. After roasting, the coffee delivers bittersweet chocolate with creamy, toffee-like sweetness and a subtle winey acidity—the enticing aroma and fruity sweetness of the chocolate notes leave a lasting impression.

Costa Rica's volcanic terrain provides fertile volcanic ash, moderate temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—all factors that make coffee one of the country's principal crops. The seven growing regions are Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

Brewing Instructions

Pour-over Costa Rican San Ramon: 15g of coffee at a medium grind (setting 4 on a Fuji Royal grinder), V60 dripper, water at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Once the water level drops to halfway, pour again slowly until you reach 225g total, discarding the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Costa Rica San Ramon Royal Coffee

Country: Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Altitude: 1700m
Region: Tarrazu region
Roast Level: Medium-dark roast
Processing Method: Washed
Varieties: Catuai, Catimor
Processing Plant: San Ramon processing plant
Flavor: Berry aroma, caramel, cream, with subtle spices

Costa Rica's best coffees increasingly come from small mills scattered across the main growing regions, including Tarrazu and West Valley. This so-called coffee revolution began 15 years ago and dramatically changed how roasters and importers see Costa Rican coffee. Centered on micro-mills that collect and process cherry from surrounding smallholders—typically small communities or family farms—all of the coffee is processed and dried at a single small mill. The quality and character of this Royal Coffee owe much to the close cooperation between the producers and our team.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Roast level is one of the three levers—along with acidity and bitterness—that decide a coffee's final flavor: darker roasts turn bitter and heavy, lighter roasts turn bright and delicate, and the middle path belongs to the medium roast. Two FrontStreet medium roasts to try:

FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon — for anyone who dislikes both sourness and bitterness. From Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, this distinctive Yellow Bourbon is quietly sweet, and after medium roasting it shows creamy peanut, chocolate, toast, and sugarcane aromas and sweetness. It extracts beautifully as a pour-over and is equally at home in a moka pot or espresso machine.

FrontStreet "Strawberry Candy" Geisha Blend — for a sweeter medium roast, this fruit-forward blend pairs a honey-processed Costa Rican component with washed Panama Geisha. Roasted medium to capture the best of both origins, it brews up with orange-blossom honeyed notes and a rounded sweetness, and suits cold brew, pour-over, and espresso alike—refreshing from the first sip.