Is Costa Rica Yellow Honey Coffee Delicious? Brewing Methods for Costa Rican Coffee

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Pour-over Yellow Honey Processing

15g of coffee grounds, medium grind (Fujiyama serrated burr 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 in the coffee bed drops halfway before continuing the pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total, discarding the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Caturra Variety

Caturra is suitable for cultivation from low altitudes of 700 meters to high altitudes of 1700 meters. It has strong altitude adaptability, with higher altitudes producing better flavor but relatively lower yields—this is the destiny of specialty coffee beans. Some in the academic community describe Caturra as an intensive and sun-exposed version of Bourbon, which is remarkably accurate. There is also a yellow Caturra variant (Caturra Amarello) in Central and South America, but its reputation doesn't match that of Yellow Bourbon.

When lightly roasted, Caturra exhibits distinct acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, the sweetness can be exceptionally well-expressed, but the coffee body is relatively lower compared to Bourbon, and the cleanliness of the mouthfeel is somewhat lacking.

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

Product Information

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

Coffee Details

Costa Rica Helsar De Zarcero

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

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

Costa Rican coffee has always been considered a classic example of perfect flavor profiles—balanced, clean, and mild are 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 features nearly perfect classic flavor with lively citrus notes in acidity, blackberry fruit aromas, rich acidity and texture, melon-like sweetness, smooth mouthfeel, drupe 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 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, with a long history and a complete system from production to sales. Located in the Central American isthmus, the country has numerous volcanoes and enjoys natural advantages of sunshine and soil. Climatically, it benefits from the moderation of Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes. The resulting coffee reflects the characteristics of local microclimate terroir conditions. In terms of quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently received worldwide recognition and has been rated as one of the world's high-quality coffees.

The country's volcanic terrain provides fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—all factors contributing to coffee becoming one of Costa Rica's main agricultural products. The seven major producing regions are: Tarrazú, Tres Ríos, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

Costa Rica has a long history of coffee cultivation, but in the past 10+ years, the innovative "dry" processing method has become trendy. 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 with varying acidity, complex aromas, and richness—each with its own depth and merits.

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

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 convenient. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it has the cyclical problem of yield fluctuations every two years. However, it has strong adaptability, doesn't require shade trees, and 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, in the 1970s when coffee prices soared, farmers switched to Caturra to increase yields. With strong promotion by Brazilian and Colombian authorities, the results were fruitful. Farmer acceptance of Caturra signaled a major transformation in cultivation techniques. Brazil and Colombia adopted high-yield, high-density sun-exposed cultivation. 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 the 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