Is Costa Rica San Roman Coffee Delicious? How to Make Costa Rican Coffee

Costa Rica San Roman Coffee

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Altitude: 1700m

Region: Tarrazú

Roast Level: Medium-dark

Processing Method: Washed

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Mill: San Roman Processing Mill

Flavor: Berry aromatics, caramel, cream, delicate spice

The finest Costa Rican coffees increasingly come from small micro-mills scattered across the country's major growing regions, including Tarrazú and the West Valley. This so-called coffee revolution began some 15 years ago and has fundamentally changed how roasters and importers evaluate Costa Rican coffee. These micro-mills collect cherries from surrounding smallholder farms for processing; the farms themselves are mostly small community or family operations growing coffee on tiny plots, with all of their coffee processed and dried at a single small mill. The distinctive quality and character of this coffee owes much to that close collaboration between producers and FrontStreet Coffee.

Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica began with seedlings introduced from Cuba in 1779, although coffee exports did not start until 1820. Today the country counts roughly 32,000 coffee farmers, each cultivating an average of less than one hectare (10,000 square meters). Costa Rica had a population of 4.1 million as of 2006, with coffee covering 82,500 hectares and an annual production of 1.7 million bags (each weighing 60 kg). Domestic consumption runs about 380,000 bags per year, and average per capita consumption reaches 5.5 kg per year—well above Japan's 4 kg, while Taiwan's average sits at just over 1 kg.

Costa Rica was the first Central American country to adopt coffee cultivation, and it has developed a long history along with a complete system running from production to sales. Sitting on the Central American isthmus, dotted with volcanoes, the country enjoys natural advantages of sunshine and fertile land. Its climate is tempered by Pacific and Atlantic currents and sea breezes, and the resulting coffees clearly reflect the microclimates of their individual terroirs. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has long earned worldwide recognition and is judged among the world's premier coffees. The country's two centuries of coffee cultivation began on the slopes of the Poás and Barva volcanoes, in what is today the Central Valley. Its seven main growing regions stretch from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau.

Because coffee farming is a relatively advanced profession in Costa Rica, growers hold a respected place in society. In 1897, the capital's citizens celebrated the completion of the National Theater, funded by wealthy coffee merchants. Coffee wealth has given Costa Rica a stability in politics, economy, and democracy that is rare in Central America. Remarkably, the country has even legislated that only Arabica coffee may be cultivated—Robusta is effectively a "prohibited substance" within its borders, a world first.

Costa Rica's production is modest, around 110,000 tons annually, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The country emphasizes newer varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo, while the old Bourbon and Typica lines are less common. Many local selections have also been developed, the most famous being the Bourbon mutation Villa Sarchi—an elegant, refined cup that has been planted in Brazil, where it has won awards. Costa Rican research institutions have likewise worked to improve the Catimor hybrid, seeking to dilute its Robusta heritage while enhancing its Arabica character; in recent years these selections have been exported to Asia for trial cultivation.

The country's most famous large growing region is Tarrazú, near the capital San José. With the highest average altitude of any Costa Rican region, plus superb climate and soil, Tarrazú is widely regarded as the country's best. Tres Ríos is a celebrated sub-region within Tarrazú. The most famous Costa Rican single-estate coffee in the specialty world is La Minita, also in Tarrazú, with an annual production of only 160,000 pounds.

The San Roman mill works primarily with washed processing and has built its reputation on coffees with dense, deeply flavorful profiles and a solid body. Cherries are hand-sorted first, with farmers removing overripe and underripe fruit before processing begins. A 3-disc Aagaarde pulper removes the skin and pulp, then machinery separates the beans into three density grades. Grade 1 and Grade 2 green beans ferment separately, while Grade 3 holds the lower-quality lots. The beans ferment in a cool place for roughly 24-36 hours. After fermentation they are washed and re-graded by density in washing channels, then soaked overnight in clean water. After processing and roasting, the cup shows a bittersweet chocolate note with a rich sweetness reminiscent of fudge, married to a subtle winey acidity and an enticing aroma. That fruity chocolate sweetness lingers long after the last sip.

Costa Rica's volcanic terrain supplies fertile volcanic ash soils, mild and steady temperatures, and reliable, abundant rainfall—all factors that have made coffee one of the country's signature crops. The seven major growing regions are Tarrazú, Tres Ríos, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

Brewing Guide

For a hand-poured Costa Rica San Roman, use 15g of coffee ground medium-fine (setting 4 on a Fujiyama serrated burr grinder), a V60 dripper, and water at 88-89°C. Start with a 30g bloom for 27 seconds, then pour up to 105g and stop. Once the water level in the coffee bed drops to about half, resume pouring slowly until you reach 225g in total. Cut off the tail of the extraction. The water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, with a total extraction time of about 2:00.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since the San Roman is a classic washed coffee, it is worth exploring how much style the washed process can express. In the washed method, cherries are floated, pulped, fermented to remove the mucilage, washed or further soaked, then dried and hulled. The extended soak consumes much of the fruit's simple sugars, so washed coffees tend to highlight the bean's own aromatics with bright acidity and a clean, crisp finish.

FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1: a benchmark washed coffee. Jamaica's island climate brings shorter sunshine hours, so washed processing was developed there to reduce the risk of spoilage before drying—yielding beans with a bright, translucent color and a low defect rate. In the cup it shows hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel in perfect balance, with no single note dominating or missing.

FrontStreet Kenya Cherry Tomato: a standout example of Kenya's signature double washed process, in which the beans are washed, soaked, and rinsed repeatedly. The result is an intensely juicy, fruit-punch-like cup with notes of cherry tomato, dried plum, snow pear, black plum, and golden sugar—sweet, tart, and succulent, a favorite among coffee enthusiasts.