How is the Costa Rican Black Honey Coffee Bean Market? Which Costa Rican Coffee Brand is Best?

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Flavor Profile

Preserved plum, honey, brown sugar, orange blossom, white chocolate

Mouthfeel

Excellent sweetness, gentle fruit acidity, round and full-bodied, persistent aftertaste

This batch of black honey processed coffee comes from the famous Finca La Minita in Costa Rica's renowned Tarrazú region. Although Costa Rica started developing specialty coffee relatively late, its specialty coffee industry has developed rapidly. With honey processing's gentle fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel, and sweet, high-quality berry flavors, Costa Rica has become a significant force in specialty coffee. Black honey processing retains about 80% of the mucilage, with the main difference between yellow, red, and black honey being progressively increasing sweetness levels. Combined with richer fruit notes, this processing method is deeply loved by coffee connoisseurs.

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qian Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Roast Level: Medium roast
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Costa Rica

Coffee Details

Country: Costa Rica
Grade: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)
Region: Tarrazú
Roast Level: Medium roast
Processing Method: Black honey processing
Variety: Catuai
Estate: Finca La Minita
Flavor: Preserved plum, honey, brown sugar

Catuai is a coffee variety resulting from artificial hybridization between Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain.

Catuai trees are relatively low-growing. Compared to other coffee trees, Catuai fruits grow more densely and are harder to pick. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no significant taste difference has been found between yellow and red fruits. In fact, some cupping tests have revealed that although coffees processed from yellow fruits may have good acidity, their flavor clarity is often inferior to those from red fruits.

Catuai was cultivated in Brazil and is now widely grown throughout Central America.

The country's most famous growing region is Tarrazú, located near the capital San José. The Tarrazú region has the highest average altitude and excellent climate and soil conditions, making it Costa Rica's most famous and widely recognized superior coffee-producing area. Tres Rios is a renowned sub-region within Tarrazú. In the specialty coffee world, the most famous Costa Rican single-estate coffee is from the La Minita estate in Tarrazú, with an annual production of only 160,000 pounds.

Its three most famous origins are Tarrazú, located south of Costa Rica's capital San José, as well as the Central Valley and Western Valley regions. Within these areas are distributed many excellent independent estates, all dedicated to cultivating more refined washed and honey-processed coffee beans. Let's look forward to more honey-processed coffee surprises from Costa Rica.

Honey Processing Methods

The honey processing methods we commonly see include: yellow honey, red honey, and black honey.

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

Red Honey: About 25% of mucilage is removed; compared to yellow honey, drying time is longer, with reduced direct sun exposure time, sometimes using shade nets, lasting about 12 days.

Black Honey: Almost no mucilage is removed; drying takes the longest time, minimum 2 weeks, using coverings to avoid excessive sunlight and prevent too-rapid drying, allowing more complete sugar conversion.

Brewing Instructions

Hand-pour black honey: 15g of coffee, medium grind (using Fuji's demon teeth burr grinder setting 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water, bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop pouring, wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Although Costa Rica has gained recognition from coffee connoisseurs through its honey-processed coffee beans, this is inseparable from Costa Rica's superior geographical and climatic conditions, as well as the exclusive selection of Arabica varieties for cultivation. Costa Rica's premium coffee beans are called "Strictly Hard Beans" (SHB), followed by Hard Beans (HB) and Semi-Hard Beans (SH) in descending quality order, which also serves as its grading system. Strictly Hard Beans grow at altitudes above 1,500 meters, and altitude has always represented coffee quality - higher altitude means better quality. Additionally, the significant altitude drop creates abundant rainfall, which is very beneficial for coffee tree growth. Moreover, the low night temperatures at high altitudes slow down tree growth, allowing coffee cherries to absorb more nutrients and develop richer flavors.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473