Introduction to Costa Rica Black Honey Coffee Regions & Brewing Guide

Honey Processing Methods

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

Yellow Honey

About 40% of the mucilage is removed; the drying process requires the most direct heat absorption, receiving maximum sunlight exposure for drying, taking approximately 8 days to reach stable moisture content.

Red Honey

About 25% of the mucilage is removed; compared to yellow honey, the drying time is longer, and direct sun exposure time is reduced, even using shade nets, lasting approximately 12 days.

Black Honey

Almost no mucilage is removed; the drying time is the longest, lasting at least 2 weeks, using coverings to avoid excessive sunlight, preventing too rapid drying, allowing for more thorough sugar conversion.

Brewing Method

Pour-over black honey: 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops halfway, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Discard the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Costa Rican Coffee Excellence

Although Costa Rica has gained recognition from coffee connoisseurs for its honey-processed coffee beans, this is also inseparable from Costa Rica's superior geographical and climate conditions, and the fact that all cultivated coffee varieties are Arabica. Costa Rica's premium coffee beans are called "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) with progressively decreasing quality, which also serves as its grading system. Strictly Hard Bean grows at elevations above 1500 meters, and altitude has always represented coffee quality - higher altitude means better quality. Additionally, the significant elevation drop creates abundant rainfall, which is very beneficial for coffee tree growth. Moreover, the low nighttime temperatures at high altitudes slow tree growth, allowing coffee cherries to absorb more nutrients, resulting in richer coffee flavors.

Flavor Profile

Flavor: 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 from Finca La Milla, produced in Costa Rica's famous Tarrazú region. Although the development of specialty coffee started relatively late, Costa Rica's specialty coffee development has been rapid. With the gentle fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel, and sweet premium berry flavors of honey processing, it has become truly impressive. Black honey processing retains about 80% of the mucilage pulp. Their most obvious difference is that from yellow to red to black, each becomes progressively sweeter. Combined with richer fruit notes, they are deeply loved by coffee connoisseurs.

Product Information

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

Coffee Details

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

About Catuai Variety

Catuai is a coffee variety artificially hybridized from Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, especially wind and rain.

The Catuai tree is relatively low-growing. Compared to other coffee trees, Catuai fruits grow more firmly and are not easy to harvest. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no superior taste has been found in yellow fruits compared to red fruits. In fact, some people have found in cupping that although coffee processed from some yellow fruits has good acidity, the cleanliness of the coffee mouthfeel is inferior to that of red fruits.

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

Tarrazú Region

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

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

Important Notice :

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