What Are Costa Rica Tank Manor Coffee Brands & Costa Rica Coffee Brewing Steps

Costa Rican Coffee Bean Classification

The best Costa Rican beans are graded "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) in descending quality, and this doubles as the country's grading system. Strictly Hard Bean is grown above 1,500 meters, and altitude has always stood for quality: higher ground means better coffee. The elevation drop also brings abundant rainfall, which benefits the trees, while the low temperatures at high altitude slow growth and let the cherries absorb more nutrients, giving richer flavour.

Hand-Brewing Villa Sarchi

Hand-brewed Villa Sarchi. 15 g of coffee, medium grind on a Fujimarke conical burr grinder at #4, V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30 g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105 g and stop. When the water level in the bed drops to halfway, continue pouring slowly until you reach 225 g. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Famous Growing Regions

Its three most famous growing regions are Tarrazú, south of the capital San José, along with the Central Valley and Western Valley. Natural processing is a very traditional method that uses minimal resources, but because there are too many uncontrollable factors, achieving excellent results is extremely difficult. Francisca has introduced several innovations, among them using a Brix meter, common in the wine industry, to measure the sugar content of the fruit. From the Brix reading she decides the best harvest timing and processing method: only cherries above 20% sugar go to natural processing. For reference, apples measure 14 Brix, lemons 12 and passion fruit 18, while La Hacas coffee cherries reach 21-22%. La Hacas not only produces naturally and honey-processed beans but washed ones as well. The farm grows Caturra, Catuai and Villa Sarchi, and has also introduced small amounts of Kenyan varieties such as SL28 and Obata.

Natural Processing Method

Natural processing is quite labour-intensive. Hand-picked, high-sugar cherries are first laid on raised African beds to sun-dry for about 10 days, then moved into a greenhouse covered with plastic sheeting to trap more direct heat and continue drying until moisture content reaches 11.5%. This slow drying lets the green bean develop more natural sweetness from within, but it also demands careful attention and precise calculation of how often to turn the fruit. At the end, the bright red cherries have turned black and give off aromas of fruitcake, caramel and even sherry, and the process is complete.

Flavour Profile

Flavour: Lime, caramel, nuts

Palate: Excellent sweetness, gentle fruit acidity, round and full-bodied, with a persistent aftertaste

Product Information

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop

Ingredients: House-roasted

Shelf Life: 90 days

Net Weight: 227 g

Packaging: Bulk coffee beans

Bean State: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Costa Rica

Roast Level: Medium roast

Villa Sarchi Variety

Villa Sarchi originated in Costa Rica and is a variant of Typica. Like Typica, it forms a 60-degree angle between branches and trunk, with bronze-coloured leaves. It grows particularly well at high altitude and stands up well to wind. It can also tolerate poor soil and thrives better under shade trees. Its most prominent flavour traits are excellent sweetness and a wonderful acidity.

Coffee Details

Origin: Costa Rica West Valley Monte Solis EI Tanque Villa Sarhi Natural

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Region: Central Valley

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing Method: Natural processing

Variety: Villa Sarchi

Estate: EI Tanque Estate

Flavour: Lime, caramel, nuts

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Costa Rica's natural processing builds sweetness and a syrupy body, and a clean, fast-extracting dripper keeps all of that detail legible. The V60 suits the job well. Its 60° cone and single large hole send water down toward the centre before it drips through, lengthening the contact between water and grounds so aromatics and flavour extract fully, while the flow rate follows the brewer's own control and is mirrored directly in the cup.

For a washed coffee that shines under that treatment, FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gotiti Cooperative is a fine starting point. Yirgacheffe is famous for its unmistakable white florals and lemon-citrus acidity, and the washed process brings jasmine and bright citrus to their fullest. At a medium-light roast it opens into green tea and honey, and works as a pour-over, cold brew or espresso.

If you prefer the sweetness and fruit of a natural, FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Huakui is one of the most successful specialty coffees of recent years, with an intensely tropical aroma of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit and lychee, clearly sweet and very low in bitterness, juicy and smooth on entry, the kind of cup that upends people's expectations of how bitter coffee has to be.