Flavor Characteristics, Origin, and Brewing Parameters for Costa Rica San Roman Estate Single Origin Coffee

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Flavor Characteristics, Region and Brewing Parameters of Costa Rica San Roman Estate Single Origin Coffee

Costa Rica

Population: 4,586,000

In the past, Costa Rica has successfully sold its coffee based on the names of production regions. However, the flavor profiles vary greatly within each region, making it worthwhile to explore each different region to see what types of coffee beans they can produce.

CENTRAL VALLEY

The Central Valley, where Costa Rica's capital San José is located, is the most densely populated area and the region with the longest history of coffee cultivation. It is typically divided into subregions of San José Heredia and Alajuela. The region's topography and soil are influenced by three major volcanoes: Irazú, Barva, and Poás.

Altitude: 900-1,600m

Harvest: November - March

WEST VALLEY

The West Valley was first settled by farmers in the 19th century who brought coffee with them. The region is divided into six subregions centered around the cities of San Ramón, Palmares, Naranjo, Grecia, Sarchí, and Atenas. The city of Sarchí has a specific coffee variety called Villa Sarchi. The highest altitude areas in this region are located around Naranjo, and some remarkable coffees can be found at these elevations.

Altitude: 700-1,600m

Harvest: October - February

Costa Rica San Roman Processing Plant Royal Coffee

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Altitude: 1700m

Region: Tarrazú

Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast

Processing Method: Washed

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Processing Plant: San Roman Processing Plant

Flavor: Berry aroma, caramel, cream, subtle spices

The best Costa Rican coffees seem to come from small processing plants scattered throughout the major coffee-growing regions, including Tarrazú and West Valley. This so-called coffee revolution, which originated 15 years ago, has dramatically changed how roasting experts and importers view Costa Rican coffee. Centered around processing plants that collect and process coffee beans from surrounding small farms, these operations are typically composed of small communities or families who grow coffee on their own small farms or land, with all coffee being processed and dried by a single small processing plant. The quality and flavor of Royal Coffee are quite distinctive, largely thanks to the collaboration between coffee producers and our company.

Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica began in 1779 with introduction from Cuba, with the first coffee exports occurring in 1820. There are currently about 32,000 coffee farmers, with each farmer cultivating an average area of less than one hectare (10,000㎡). Costa Rica has a population of 4.1 million (2006), with coffee cultivation covering 82,500 hectares and an annual production of 1.7 million bags (60kg per bag). Annual domestic consumption is 380,000 bags, with an average per capita consumption of 5.5kg per year, higher than Japan (4kg consumption) and significantly more than Taiwan's current average of just over 1kg.

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee

Address: Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City

Contact: 020-38364473

Shelf Life: 30 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Taste: Mellow coffee beans

Bean State: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Costa Rica

Coffee Type: Costa Rican coffee

Roast Level: Medium roast

Flavor Description: Berry aroma, caramel, cream, subtle spices.

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to introduce coffee cultivation, boasting a long history and a complete system from production to sales. Located in the Central American isthmus with numerous volcanoes, the country enjoys natural advantages of abundant sunshine and fertile land. The climate is moderated by Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes, producing coffees with distinctive local microclimate terroir characteristics. In terms of both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently received worldwide recognition and is rated as one of the world-class high-quality coffees. Costa Rica has two hundred years of coffee cultivation history, with the first plantings on the slopes of Poás and Barva volcanoes, today known as the Central Valley region. The seven main coffee-growing regions are distributed from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau.

Due to coffee cultivation, being a coffee farmer in Costa Rica is considered a relatively prestigious profession. Coffee farmers hold a respected status in Costa Rican society. In 1897, the capital's residents witnessed the inauguration of the National Theater, donated by coffee wealth. Coffee wealth brought stability to Costa Rica's politics, economy, and democracy, a rarity among Central American countries. Additionally, Costa Rica has laws that only permit the cultivation of Arabica coffee, with Robusta being considered "contraband" within its borders - a world-first initiative.

Costa Rica's production volume is not large, with an annual output of about 110,000 tons, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The country primarily focuses on newer coffee varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo, while ancient Bourbon and Typica varieties are less common. The country has also developed several local varieties, the most famous being the Bourbon-derived Villa Sarchi, an elegant-flavored variety that has been introduced and cultivated in Brazil, where it has won awards. Additionally, Costa Rican research institutions have worked tirelessly to improve the hybrid Catimor, attempting to reduce the Robusta bloodline while enhancing the Arabica flavor of Catimor, which has recently been exported to Asia for trial cultivation.

The country's most famous growing region is Tarrazú (Tarrazu), 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 as the best coffee-producing region in Costa Rica. Tres Rios is a famous subregion within the Tarrazú region. The most renowned Costa Rican single estate coffee in the specialty coffee world is La Minita estate in the Tarrazú region, with an annual production of only 160,000 pounds.

The San Roman Processing Plant primarily uses washed processing methods and is known for producing coffees with intense, rich flavors and solid mouthfeel. Coffee cherries undergo hand-sorting, with farmers removing overripe or underripe cherries before processing. A 3-disc Aagaarde pulper is used to remove the skin and pulp, then machines sort the beans by density into three grades. Grade 1 and 2 beans are fermented separately, while Grade 3 consists of lower-quality beans. The beans are fermented in a cool place for about 24-36 hours, then washed and sorted again by density in the washing channels. Finally, the beans are randomly soaked in clean water overnight. After processing and roasting, the bittersweet chocolate flavor develops a creamy, fudge-like sweetness, combining with subtle wine-like acidity and an aromatic profile where the fruit sweetness of chocolate beans is unforgettable.

Costa Rica's volcanic terrain provides fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall - all factors contributing to coffee becoming one of the country's main agricultural products. The seven major growing regions are: Tarrazú, Tres Rios, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

For pour-over Costa Rican San Roman: Use 15g of coffee, ground medium (using a Fujiyama serrated burr grinder set to 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly to 225g total. Avoid the final tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

TARRAZÚ

The Tarrazú region has long-established credibility, and for years, coffee from this area has almost been considered synonymous with high quality. However, this coffee comes from different farms and is then blended into large batches. Nevertheless, the Tarrazú brand has accumulated enough strength over the years that coffees produced outside the region are sometimes labeled as Tarrazú to increase their value. Costa Rica's highest coffee farms are located in this region, and like many other regions, the most profitable harvest time is during the distinct dry season.

Altitude: 1,200-1,900m

Harvest: November - March

Costa Rica San Roman Processing Plant

Coffee Region: Tarrazú

Coffee Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Annual Rainfall: 2000mm

Grading Standard: SHB

Average Temperature: 19°C

Processing Method: Washed

Green Bean Size: 17-18 screen

Cultivation Altitude: 1700m

Soil Type: Volcanic soil

The best Costa Rican coffees seem to come from small processing plants scattered throughout the major coffee-growing regions, including Tarrazú and West Valley. This so-called coffee revolution, which originated 15 years ago, has dramatically changed how roasting experts and importers view Costa Rican coffee. Centered around processing plants that collect and process coffee beans from surrounding small farms, these operations are typically composed of small communities or families who grow coffee on their own small farms or land, with all coffee being processed and dried by a single small processing plant.

The San Roman Processing Plant primarily uses washed processing methods and is known for producing coffees with intense, rich flavors and solid mouthfeel. Coffee cherries undergo hand-sorting, with farmers removing overripe or underripe cherries before processing. A 3-disc Aagaarde pulper is used to remove the skin and pulp, then machines sort the beans by density into three grades. Grade 1 and 2 beans are fermented separately, while Grade 3 consists of lower-quality beans. The beans are fermented in a cool place for about 24-36 hours, then washed and sorted again by density in the washing channels. Finally, the beans are randomly soaked in clean water overnight.

Flavor Description: Tea aroma, candy sweetness, grape notes, caramel fragrance, cream, subtle spice notes, with bittersweet chocolate flavor providing a creamy, fudge-like rich sweetness.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473