Costa Rica Aguilera Alice Estate Information - 2017 WBC Barista Championship Competition Bean

FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Aquiares Estate Information

Aquiares Estate — a "Rainforest Alliance" certified estate in Costa Rica, Central America, and the largest estate in the country, covering more than 2,000 hectares. It is also the growing location for Nomad's Centroamericano lot.

Centroamericano — Central America Washed

2017 WBC World Barista Championship competition bean

Altitude: 1,250m (SHB)

Variety: Centroamericano

Flavor: Nut, caramel, plum, chocolate, sucrose, creamy finish

The Beautiful Aquiares

Aquiares is the largest coffee estate in Costa Rica and the growing home of Nomad's Centroamericano lot.

Established in 1890, it sits in one of Costa Rica's richest agricultural areas, between two rivers, with streams, waterfalls, and pristine forest where the coffee trees grow. A community of 1,800 people depends on the Aquiares farm for its livelihood. Nearly 500 hectares are preserved as pristine forest, and after 2003 the estate obtained tropical rainforest certification, producing exceptionally flavorful coffee year after year.

Aquiares is Costa Rica's largest coffee estate and processing plant, renowned throughout Central America. It actively participates in environmentally friendly initiatives and holds certifications from the "Rainforest Alliance," Starbucks, and German national authorities — its burlap bags all bear the green frog emblem.

Aquiares Estate lies in Costa Rica's Turrialba region, on the magnificent, fertile slopes of the Turrialba volcano, between the Aquiares and Turrialba rivers. Covering over 917 hectares, it has 675 hectares planted with coffee and other local plants, while another 150 hectares serve as a natural rainforest reserve. The estate has four natural springs and 31 rivers providing abundant irrigation. It supports 160 resident farmers, swelling to 400 staff during harvest season. In 2003/2004 it obtained rainforest protection certification, purifying and restoring the wastewater generated during production and processing so that the estate and the local ecology exist in more harmonious interdependence. Aquiares produces only exceptionally high-quality Arabica coffee, in fact all of it Caturra. Coffee trees are planted from 2,690 feet up to 4,265 feet — roughly 820 to 1300 meters — using contour planting along the elevation lines to minimize erosion. Under the shade of numerous native tree species, the estate coexists gracefully with the region's entire flora and fauna ecosystem.

Product Name: FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Aquiares Estate

Growing Region: Turrialba

Grade: SHB EP

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Catimor

Altitude: 820-1,300m

Planting Area: 950ha

Production: 15,000 bags

Harvest Period: December-March

Bean Size: Above 16, with 80% reaching screen 17

Processing Method: Washed

Drying Method: A combination of sun-drying and machine drying

Certification: Rainforest Protection

Estate Name: Aquiares Estate

Aquiares Estate History and Environment

Coffee cultivation at Aquiares began in the late 19th century, making it one of Costa Rica's largest coffee estates — and the first coffee estate registered with the Costa Rican Coffee Association.

The estate spans over 917 hectares, with 675 hectares planted in coffee trees and other plants and the remaining 150 hectares kept as a natural rainforest reserve. It sits on the volcanic slopes of Turrialba, drawing nutrients from the volcanic soil, with numerous natural springs and water from 31 rivers for irrigation.

The estate is embraced by the Turrialba and Aquiares rivers — "Aquiares" means "the land between rivers" in the local indigenous language. The Jesus Maria river also flows through the property, and the terrain drops it into a waterfall 99 feet high; it is easy to imagine what a paradise this place is.

Aquiares obtained its rainforest protection certification in 2003/2004. Coffee is planted along contour lines to minimize soil erosion, and the wastewater from green coffee processing is purified and restored to minimize pollution. The estate preserves remarkably intact native forest, so the coffee trees growing there coexist harmoniously with the natural ecosystem in as pristine an environment as possible.

To maintain green coffee quality, Aquiares processes all of its beans at its own mill — which handles only coffee grown on the estate itself — with a serious and rigorous approach to every processing step.

Coffee Flavor Profile

Cultivated in this superb growing environment, Aquiares coffee shows very bright fruit acidity, flexible aromatics, and a smooth, elegant mouthfeel.

The aroma recalls passion fruit, with a sweet-tart profile that takes on a floral character mid-palate and transforms into mature chocolate sweetness as the cup cools.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the caramel-and-plum sweetness of this Costa Rican lot appeals to you as a daily americano, FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend is the go-to for brewing espresso-style americano with a home machine. Built from Indonesian Mandheling, Brazilian Red Bourbon, and washed Vietnam beans in a traditional Italian-style formula, it carries Asian coffee's low acidity, full body, and herbal-woody tones alongside the balanced smoothness and creaminess of the Americas — with butter, nut, spice, and dark chocolate aromas in the extraction, and a wild character with abundant crema whether you drink it black or as a latte.

For a budget-conscious house bean, the Dark Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan small-bean coffee with Brazilian Cerrado: nut, chocolate, and cream aromas in the americano, a gentle ripe-plum acidity, a soft overall cup, and a friendly price — versatile enough to be the first choice for opening a coffee shop, too. And if you crave something fruitier, the Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend — a medium roast combining Colombia, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia across washed, natural, and honey processes — offers grape, dried blueberry, sweet orange, and candy flavors with a distinctive almond finish. For the Aquiares itself, brew it as a pour-over to taste its bright, passion-fruit acidity at its best.