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Costa Rica Las Hacias Estate Single-Origin Coffee Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estate Introduction

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional Barista Exchange - Follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat Official Account: cafe_style) Costa Rica Las Hacias Estate Single-Origin Coffee Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estate Introduction Honey processing is one of the mainstream processing methods for specialty green coffee beans. In my previous articles, I have introduced some coffee bean processing methods. Honey processing is currently the latest to appear among the mainstream processing methods.

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Introduction to Las Lajas Estate: Single Origin Varieties, Brand Recommendations, and Estate Overview

The honey processing method is one of the mainstream processing methods for specialty coffee green beans. Among current mainstream processing methods, honey processing is the most recent to emerge, derived from Brazil's pulped natural processing method (also known as semi-washed processing).

Costa Rica was the first country to use honey processing for coffee green beans. In Costa Rica, there are three major coffee growing regions: Tarrazu, Central Valley, and West Valley.

Las Lajas Estate is located in the Central Valley region and is one of Costa Rica's first coffee plantations to systematically research and use refined natural and honey processing methods. Las Lajas Estate is situated at elevations between 1,250 and 1,500 meters, with an annual production of over 50,000 kilograms of coffee green beans.

Las Lajas Estate maintains extremely strict standards, using a sweetness meter (BRIX) during the harvest stage to screen qualified coffee fruits and frequently modifying processing equipment to meet the evolving demands of refined natural and honey processing methods. The estate has taken honey processing to the extreme. Previously, we shared the standard definitions of yellow, red, and black honey processing: yellow honey retains less than 50% of the mucilage after removing the pulp, red honey retains at least 80% of the mucilage after removing the pulp, while black honey retains nearly all mucilage before drying and fermentation. However, Las Lajas Estate's yellow, red, and black honey processing methods are quite distinctive—they all remove the pulp while preserving 100% of the mucilage, then control flavor formation through different turning times during drying.

Natural Processing

Their natural processing method is also quite unique, controlling flavor formation through either pure sun exposure or alternating periods of sun exposure and shade. Here, let me briefly introduce two representative coffee beans from Las Lajas Estate that I particularly like: one is black honey processed, and the other is Perla Negra (Black Pearl).

Both the black honey processed beans and Perla Negra beans from Las Lajas Estate can be roasted to a medium-light level. When properly roasted, the black honey processed beans exhibit distinct nutty aromas and brown sugar flavors, with excellent sweetness and a smooth, full-bodied texture.

Perla Negra coffee beans are naturally processed. When properly roasted, they display distinct cocoa notes, fruit acidity and sweetness, with an alcoholic beverage-like finish.

Las Lajas Estate Perla Negra

Country: Costa Rica

Name: Las Lajas Estate - Perla Negra

Region: Central Valley

Grade: SHB

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Altitude: 1300-1500 meters

Varieties: Caturra & Catuai

Among the currently popular refined natural and honey processing methods in Costa Rica, Las Lajas Estate is one of the first estates to systematically research and implement these methods. For many years, it has been a coffee estate highly favored by global buyers. Las Lajas Estate is currently managed by third-generation owner Francisca Cubillo and her husband Oscar. The estate is located in the Central Valley region, not far from the capital and very close to Poas Volcano, at elevations between 1,250-1,500 meters, with an annual production of approximately 55,200 kilograms.

Years ago, estate owner Francisca hoped to further enhance the flavor expression of the estate's coffee. At that time, the vast majority of Costa Rican coffee farmers generally used traditional washed processing to supply the US and European markets. Therefore, the owner began researching and improving many of the estate's equipment to better suit the needs of natural and honey processing. During the harvest stage, the owner uses a BRIX meter to screen red coffee cherries that meet standards, while also building their own washing station for coffee processing, finally placing the beans on African raised beds for subsequent sun drying.

Among the coffees processed at Las Lajas Estate, the owner categorizes honey-processed and natural coffees into different products based on flavor profiles. For honey processing, most Costa Rican farmers control the amount of remaining pulp through the pulping machines at washing stations, but Las Lajas Estate decided to adopt another approach: retaining 100% of the pulp while controlling the drying and turning times on African raised beds to present different flavor expressions. For honey processing, the estate divides coffee into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey.

Yellow Honey Processing:

After removing the pulp, the coffee is placed on African raised beds at dawn for sun drying and immediately turned.

Red Honey Processing:

After removing the pulp, the coffee is placed on African raised beds at dawn for sun drying and only turned after noon.

Black Honey Processing:

After removing the pulp, the coffee is placed on African raised beds at dawn for sun drying and only turned after afternoon.

As for natural processing, it creates many more delicate flavor expressions through the use of plastic tarps for shading.

Perla Negra:

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Grade: SHB

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Flavor Description: Dark chocolate, creamy, fruits, full body

Costa Rica

Population: 4,586,000

In the past, Costa Rica has successfully marketed its coffee based on producing region names. However, flavors vary greatly within each region, making it very worthwhile to explore each different region to see what kinds 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 has the longest history of coffee cultivation. It is typically divided into sub-regions of San José, Heredia, and Alajuela. The region features three major volcanoes—Irazú, Barva, and Poás—that influence the topography and soil.

Altitude: 900-1,600m

Harvest: November - March

WEST VALLEY

The West Valley region was first settled by farmers in the 19th century who brought coffee with them. The area is divided into 6 sub-regions 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 of this region are located around Naranjo, where some exceptional coffees can be found at these elevations.

Altitude: 700-1,600m

Harvest: October - February

TARRAZU

The Tarrazú region has long established a reputation for quality assurance, and for many years, coffee from here could almost be considered guaranteed to be high quality. However, this coffee comes from different farms and is then blended into large batches. Nevertheless, over the years the Tarrazú brand has accumulated enough strength that coffee produced outside the region is also labeled as Tarrazú to increase its value. Costa Rica's highest coffee farms are located in this region, and like many other regions, the profitable timing coincides with the distinct dry season harvest period.

Altitude: 1,200-1,900m

Harvest: November - March

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