Costa Rica San Roman Estate Single Origin Bean Grading, Pricing, Green Beans and Roasting Profile

Costa Rica San Roman Estate Single Origin: Grading, Price, Green Beans, and Roasting Curve

The San Roman Mill

Growing Region: Tarrazu

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Annual Rainfall: 2,000 mm

Grading Standard: SHB

Average Annual Temperature: 19°C

Process: Washed

Green Bean Size: screen 17-18

Growing Altitude: 1,700 m

Soil: Volcanic soil

Costa Rica's finest coffees increasingly come from the small mills scattered across the country's main growing regions, including Tarrazu and the West Valley. This so-called coffee revolution began some 15 years ago and fundamentally changed how roasters and importers perceive Costa Rican coffee.

The model centers on the micro-mill: cherries from surrounding small farms - mostly family plots or tiny community holdings - are pooled and processed together at a single small facility, where everything is pulped and dried under one roof.

The San Roman mill works primarily with washed processing and has built its reputation on coffees with strong, rich flavors and a sturdy mouthfeel. Cherries are hand-sorted before processing, with overripe and unripe fruit removed. A 3-disc Aagarrde depulper strips away the skin and pulp, then machines separate the beans by density into three grades. Grade 1 and 2 lots are fermented separately, while grade 3 marks the lower-quality beans. The green beans ferment in a shaded area for roughly 24-36 hours, after which they are washed and density-sorted again in the washing channels, then soaked overnight in clean water.

Flavor: Tea-like aromatics, candy sweetness, grape, caramel, cream, and a whisper of spice, with a bittersweet chocolate note reminiscent of thick, creamy toffee.

Costa Rica

Population: 4,586,000

Costa Rica has historically sold its coffee on the reputation of its regional names, yet flavors vary enormously within each region - which makes it well worth exploring each area individually to discover what it can produce.

Central Valley

The Central Valley, home to the capital San José, is the most densely populated region and the longest-established coffee area. It is usually divided into the San José, Heredia, and Alajuela sub-regions, and is shaped by three major volcanoes - Irazú, Barva, and Poás - which define both the topography and the soil.

Altitude: 900-1,600 m
Harvest: November - March

West Valley

West Valley, where the first settlers arrived with coffee in the 19th century, is divided into six sub-regions centered on the towns of San Ramón, Palmares, Naranjo, Grecia, Sarchí, and Atenas. The town of Sarchí gave its name to a distinct variety, Villa Sarchi. The highest elevations sit around Naranjo, where some of the region's most remarkable coffees are grown.

Altitude: 700-1,600 m
Harvest: October - February

Costa Rica San Ramon Royal Coffee

Country: Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Altitude: 1,700 m
Region: Tarrazu
Roast Level: Medium-dark
Process: Washed
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Mill: San Roman
Flavor: Berry, caramel, cream, subtle spices

The quality and character of this Royal Coffee are distinctive, thanks in large part to the close collaboration between the producers and us. The San Roman mill's washed lots show bittersweet chocolate reminiscent of creamy toffee, laced with a delicate winey acidity - an aromatic profile whose chocolatey fruit sweetness lingers long in the memory.

Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica began in 1779, when the plant was introduced from Cuba; the first exports followed in 1820. Today there are about 32,000 coffee farmers, each tending on average less than one hectare (10,000 square meters). The country - population 4.1 million as of 2006 - has 82,500 hectares under coffee, producing 1.7 million 60 kg bags a year, of which 380,000 bags are consumed domestically. Per capita consumption averages 5.5 kg per year, higher than Japan's 4 kg, while Taiwan's is only slightly above 1 kg.

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to grow coffee, with a long history and a complete system running from production through to sales. Sitting on the Central American isthmus dotted with volcanoes, it enjoys natural advantages of sunshine and soil, while the climate is moderated by Pacific and Atlantic currents and sea breezes - yielding coffees marked by local microclimates and terroir. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has long been recognized worldwide as among the finest. Cultivation stretches back two hundred years to the slopes of the Poás and Barva volcanoes in what is now the Central Valley, and the seven main growing regions run from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau: Tarrazú, Tres Ríos, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

Thanks to coffee, farming is regarded as a relatively prestigious profession in Costa Rica, and growers enjoy respected standing in society. In 1897, residents of the capital witnessed the inauguration of the National Theater, funded by coffee wealth. That wealth brought political, economic, and democratic stability rare among Central American nations. Remarkably, Costa Rican law permits only Arabica to be cultivated - Robusta is effectively treated as contraband, a pioneering stance seen nowhere else in the world.

Production is modest: about 110,000 tons a year, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The country grows mostly newer varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo, with older types like Bourbon and Typica less common. Several local varieties have also emerged, the most famous being the Bourbon mutation Villa Sarchi, prized for its elegant cup; Brazil has introduced and cultivated it, and it has won awards there. Costa Rican research institutions have also worked tirelessly to improve the Catimor hybrid, trying to dilute its Robusta lineage while enhancing its Arabica character, with recent years seeing trial plantings exported to Asia.

The country's most famous region is Tarrazu, near the capital San José. With the highest average elevation and excellent climate and soil, it is the most celebrated and widely recognized growing region in Costa Rica. Tres Rios is a well-known sub-region within the Tarrazu area, and the most famous single estate in the specialty world is La Minita, also in Tarrazu, with an annual production of just 160,000 pounds.

The San Roman mill's washed process is the backbone of its style. Cherries are hand-sorted, overripe and unripe fruit removed; a 3-disc Aagarrde depulper strips skin and pulp; density machines split the beans into three grades, with grades 1 and 2 fermented separately and grade 3 set aside as lower quality. Fermentation runs about 24-36 hours in the shade, after which the beans are washed, re-sorted by density in the channels, and soaked overnight in clean water.

Costa Rica's volcanic terrain - fertile volcanic ash, mild temperatures, and steady abundant rainfall - underpins coffee's place among the country's leading agricultural products.

Pour-over recipe for Costa Rica San Roman: 15 g of coffee at a medium grind (Fuji Royal grinder, burr setting #4), V60 dripper, water at 88-89°C. Start with a 30 g bloom for 27 seconds, then pour to 105 g and pause. Once the water level has dropped to half, continue pouring slowly to 225 g total, skipping the tail end of the drawdown. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Tarrazu

Tarrazu has long enjoyed an established reputation for quality - coffee from this area is almost automatically considered high grade. In practice, though, it is drawn from many different farms and blended into large lots. Over the years the Tarrazu name has accumulated so much weight that coffee grown outside the region is sometimes labeled as Tarrazu to boost its value. The country's highest coffee farms are found here and, as in many regions, the profitable harvest coincides with the pronounced dry season.

Altitude: 1,200-1,900 m
Harvest: November - March

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this washed San Roman's clarity appeals to you, try FrontStreet Coffee's Guodingding Cooperative Yirgacheffe: a washed lot from Gedeb whose clean processing highlights jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, with green tea and honey notes at a medium-light roast. For a classic washed cup with perfect balance, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 delivers hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel in an impeccably even profile.