Characteristics, Flavor Description, and Growing Regions of Costa Rica San Roman Coffee Beans

The best Costa Rican coffee seems to come from small processing mills scattered across the main growing regions, Tarrazú and the West Valley among them. This coffee revolution began about 15 years ago and dramatically changed how roasters and importers view Costa Rican coffee. The model is built around mills that collect cherries from the surrounding small farms, most of them small communities or family operations growing coffee on their own plots, with all of the coffee processed and dried at a single mill. The result is a quality and flavor profile quite unlike anything else, largely thanks to close cooperation between producers and buyers.

Coffee cultivation reached Costa Rica from Cuba in 1779, and the first exports began in 1820. Today there are roughly 32,000 coffee farmers, each cultivating less than one hectare (10,000㎡). Costa Rica has a population of 4.1 million (as of 2006), with coffee covering 82,500 hectares and annual production of 1.7 million bags (60kg per bag). Annual domestic consumption is 380,000 bags, or an average of 5.5kg per person per year, which is higher than Japan's 4kg. Taiwan's current average is only slightly more than 1kg.

Costa Rica San Ramon

Country: Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Altitude: 1700M
Region: Tarrazú
Roast level: medium-dark
Processing method: washed
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Processing mill: San Ramon
Flavor notes: berry aroma, caramel, cream, subtle spices

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf life: 30 days
Net weight: 227g
Packaging: bulk
Taste: mellow and aromatic
Bean state: roasted coffee beans
Sugar content: sugar-free
Origin: Costa Rica
Coffee type: Costa Rican coffee

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America where coffee was introduced for cultivation, and it has a long history and a complete chain from production to sale. Sitting on the Central American isthmus with volcanoes throughout, it enjoys natural advantages in sunlight and land. Its climate is influenced simultaneously by Pacific and Atlantic currents and sea breezes, giving the coffee a distinct local microclimate and terroir. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has long been recognized worldwide and rated among the world's best. Cultivation has a two-hundred-year history, originally on the slopes of Poas and Barva volcanoes, in what is now called the Central Valley region. The seven main coffee regions are distributed from northwest to southeast along the inland Central Plateau.

Coffee farming is a relatively advanced profession in Costa Rica, and growers hold significant status. In 1897, the capital's residents witnessed the inauguration of the National Theater, donated by coffee millionaires. Coffee wealth brought Costa Rica a political, economic and democratic stability rare among Central American countries. The country also has laws permitting only Arabica cultivation, with Robusta treated as contraband, a pioneering position unique in the world.

Production is not large, at about 110,000 tons a year, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The focus is on modern varieties such as Caturra, Catuai and Mundo Novo, while the older Bourbon and Typica are less common. Several local derivatives have been developed, the most famous being the Bourbon variant Villa Sarchi, which belongs to the elegant flavor group and has been introduced to Brazil, where it has won awards. Research institutions have also worked hard on the Catimor hybrid, trying to reduce its Robusta lineage while improving its Arabica flavor, and have recently exported it to Asia for trial cultivation.

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

San Ramon mill works mainly with the washed method and is known for intense, rich flavors and a solid mouthfeel. Cherries are hand-sorted, with farmers removing overripe and underripe fruit before processing. A 3-disc aagaarde pulper removes the skin and pulp, then machines sort the beans by density into three grades. Grades 1 and 2 are fermented separately, while Grade 3 holds lower-quality beans. Fermentation runs about 24-36 hours in a cool place, after which the beans are washed and sorted again by density in the washing channels, then soaked at random in clean water overnight. After processing and roasting, the bittersweet chocolate flavor gives a rich, creamy sweetness like fudge, paired with a subtle wine-like acidity. The aroma is captivating and the chocolatey fruit sweetness is unforgettable.

The volcanic terrain provides fertile volcanic ash, moderate temperatures and stable, abundant rainfall, all of which helped make coffee one of Costa Rica's main agricultural products. The seven major regions are Tarrazú, Tres Rios, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba and Brunca.

For a hand-poured Costa Rican San Ramon, use 15g of coffee at a medium grind (Fuji Royal grinder with ghost tooth burrs, setting #4), a V60 dripper and water at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. When the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, continue pouring slowly to 225g, avoiding the tail end. Brew ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

San Ramon's clean, balanced washed character is a good illustration of why washed processing has become the reference point for so many origins, and it is the same thread that runs through FrontStreet Coffee's washed lineup. FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Gedeb Cooperative is a fine example: the cooperative's careful processing draws out jasmine aroma and bright citrus acidity, and a light-to-medium roast adds green tea and honey notes. It is versatile enough for pour-over, cold brew and espresso.

If you are drawn to the berry and caramel side of the Costa Rican cup, FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Cherry Tomato delivers a similarly vivid, juice-forward profile. Grown in Kenya and double-washed, it layers cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear, black plum and brown sugar into a sweet-tart, mouthwatering cup. And when the mood calls for balance rather than brightness, FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is washed to a clean, even profile of hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel, with no single note dominating, which is exactly what makes it so easy to drink.

For washing-forward coffees like these, a straightforward V60 pour-over lets the clarity show. Use a medium grind, water at 88-89°C and a 1:15 ratio; bloom with 30g of water for about 27 seconds, pour to 105g and pause, then finish to 225g once the bed has drained halfway, for an extraction of about 2:00. Keeping the final pour light protects the clean, sweet finish these beans are chosen for.