How Costa Rica Tank Manor Coffee Came to Be and Costa Rican Coffee Bean Grading System

Natural Processing Method

Natural processing is quite labor-intensive. Hand-picked cherries with a high sugar content are first placed on African raised beds to sun-dry for about 10 days, then moved into a greenhouse covered with plastic sheeting to capture more direct heat for continuous drying until the moisture content reaches 11.5%. This slow drying lets the green beans develop more natural sweetness from within, but it also demands more careful attention and a precise calculation of turning frequency. When the bright red cherries finally turn black and release aromas of fruit cake, caramel, and even sherry wine, the process is complete.

Flavor Profile

Flavor: Lemon, Caramel, Nuts

Mouthfeel: Excellent sweetness, gentle fruit acidity, rounded and full-bodied, persistent finish

Product Information

Ingredients: In-house roasted

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

Villa Sarchi Variety

Villa Sarchi originated in Costa Rica and is a variant of Typica. Like Typica, it shows a 60-degree angle between the branches and the trunk, with bronze-colored leaves. This variety grows especially well at high altitude and resists wind strongly. It can also grow in poor soil and performs better under shade trees. Its flavor is most notable for excellent sweetness and wonderful acidity.

Coffee Details

Name: Costa Rica West Valley Monte Solis El Tanque Villa Sarhi Natural

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Region: Central Valley

Roast Degree: Medium roast

Processing Method: Natural processing

Variety: Villasarchi

Estate: El Tanque Estate

Flavor: Lemon, Caramel, Nuts

Costa Rica Coffee Quality

Costa Rica's premium coffee beans are graded "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) in descending order, which forms the country's grading system. Strictly Hard Bean grows above 1500 meters, and altitude has always stood for quality: higher altitude means better quality. High altitude also brings abundant rainfall, which benefits the coffee trees, and the low nighttime temperatures slow the trees' growth so the cherries absorb more nutrients, giving richer flavor.

Brewing Recommendations

For pour-over Villa Sarchi: use 15g of coffee, medium grind (setting 4 on a small Fuji ghost-tooth burr grinder), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Continue pouring to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g total. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Costa Rica Coffee Regions

Its three most famous producing regions are Tarrazú, south of Costa Rica's capital San José, along with the Central Valley and Western Valley. Natural processing is a very traditional method that uses minimal resources, but with so many uncontrollable factors, doing it well is extremely difficult. Francesca added many innovations, such as using a Brix meter, common in the wine industry, to measure the fruit's sugar content. Based on Brix readings she decides the optimal harvest time and processing method, and only cherries with over 20% sugar content undergo natural processing. For comparison, general fruits measure apples 14, lemons 12, and passion fruit 18, while La Hars's coffee cherries can reach 21-22%. La Hars produces not only natural and honey-processed beans but washed beans too. The farm grows Caturra, Catuai, and Villa Sarchi, and has also introduced small amounts of Kenya varieties such as SL28 and Obata.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Costa Rica's natural, fruit-forward profile appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Red Cherry Yirgacheffe makes an excellent comparison. It picks only fully ripe red cherries, dries them on raised beds, and turns them every two to three hours early on to avoid uneven fermentation; after three to five weeks the outer fruit is machine-scraped and the beans are stored. The result keeps the classic Yirgacheffe character while layering in tropical fruit, a berry-juice body, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy smoothness.

For a truly expressive natural bean, step up to FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Sidra, which uses a double anaerobic natural process. The whole cherries are sealed in tanks injected with carbon dioxide to drive out oxygen, slowing the breakdown of sugars in the mucilage and the drop in pH; this yields higher sweetness, more complex flavor, and a dense, silky mouthfeel. Expect intense tropical fruit, with passion fruit, apricot, candied fruit, and grape on the palate and an almond-like finish.

Prefer a softer, sweeter, more everyday natural cup? FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Farm, a yellow Bourbon from Mogiana, uses a natural process and reveals a fresh sugarcane sweetness, black tea, a smooth, gentle fruit sweetness, clear nuttiness, balanced acidity, and a rich chocolate-and-nut aroma with an exceptionally clean, bright finish.