Introduction to Costa Rica Black Honey Coffee Regions & Brewing Guide

Honey Processing Methods

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

Yellow Honey

About 40% of the mucilage is removed. Drying demands the most direct heat absorption, receiving maximum sunlight, and takes approximately 8 days to reach a stable moisture content.

Red Honey

About 25% of the mucilage is removed. Compared with yellow honey, drying takes longer and direct sun exposure is reduced — shade nets are even used — lasting approximately 12 days.

Black Honey

Almost no mucilage is removed. Drying takes the longest, at least 2 weeks, using covers to avoid excessive sunlight so the beans dry more slowly and the sugars convert more thoroughly.

Brewing Method

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

Costa Rican Coffee Excellence

Although Costa Rica has earned the recognition of coffee connoisseurs for its honey-processed beans, this also owes much to its superb geography and climate, and to the fact that every variety it cultivates is Arabica. Costa Rica's finest beans are called "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) in descending quality — this is the country's grading system. Strictly Hard Bean grows above 1,500 meters, and altitude has always stood for quality: the higher the elevation, the better the cup. A steep drop in elevation also brings abundant rainfall, which is a great boon for coffee trees. And the cool nights at high altitude slow the trees' growth, letting the cherries take in more nutrients and developing richer flavor.

Flavor Profile

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

Mouthfeel: Excellent sweetness, gentle fruit acidity, round and full-bodied, with a persistent finish

This batch of black honey comes from Finca La Milla in Costa Rica's famous Tarrazú region. Although specialty coffee developed relatively late here, Costa Rica's progress has been rapid. With the gentle fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel and sweet premium berry flavors that honey processing brings, it has become truly impressive. Black honey processing retains about 80% of the mucilage. The most obvious difference between the three styles is that from yellow to red to black, each becomes progressively sweeter. Paired with richer fruit notes, they are deeply loved by coffee connoisseurs.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227 g
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 the Catuai Variety

Catuai is a variety artificially hybridized from Caturra and Mundo Novo. It resists natural disasters well, especially wind and rain.

The Catuai tree grows relatively low. Compared with other coffee trees, its cherries cling more firmly and are not easy to harvest. The cherries come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no superior taste has been found in yellow cherries over red. In fact, some cuppers have found that although coffee from certain yellow cherries has good acidity, its cleanliness in the cup is inferior to that of red cherries.

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

The Tarrazú Region

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

Costa Rica's three most famous origins are Tarrazú south of the capital San José, along with the Central Valley and Western Valley regions. Scattered among them are many excellent independent estates, all diligently cultivating more refined washed and honey-processed beans. Let us look forward to more honey-processing surprises from Costa Rica.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Honey processing — and black honey in particular — is all about sweetness and layered fruit, and FrontStreet has plenty of beans that show it off. For hand-pour fans, FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui is bursting with tropical strawberry, passion fruit and lychee aroma, very sweet and low in bitterness with a juicy body. FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gudingding brings bright citrus, berry and floral notes with a green-tea finish, while FrontStreet Panama Emerald Estate Red-Label Geisha delivers elegant jasmine, citrus, bergamot and black-tea notes in a clean, layered cup. If you like a sweeter, rounder profile, the medium-dark FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Sun-Dried Typica shows clean citrus and caramel with nut, chocolate and brown-sugar notes, and FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate offers low acidity, balanced body and rich nut and cocoa aroma with clear caramel sweetness — smooth and mellow whether you brew it by hand, as espresso or in a moka pot.