Costa Rica La Minita La Magnolia Washed Single Origin Coffee Beans Flavor Profile & Brewing Guide

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Costa Rica Coffee Growing Region Introduction_Costa Rica Coffee Beans Estate Flavor and Taste

Product Details

Name: Costa Rica La Minita La Magnolia Washed

Flavor Description: Balanced taste with honey nut, plum, passion fruit aromas, sugar-like wet aroma, and a gentle yet unforgettable mouthfeel.

Region: Tres Rios

Producer: La Minita Group, Hacienda La Minita Estate

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Altitude: 1,300 to 1,800 meters

Grade: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)

Processing Method: Washed

Introduction

La Minita International Coffee Export Company is named after its flagship estate, Hacienda La Minita, located in Tarrazu, Costa Rica. In addition to the Costa Rica flagship estate, La Minita also provides green coffee beans from various growing regions worldwide. La Minita vertically integrates their farms and processing plants in various locations, ensuring consistent and stable quality and flavor in their coffee. They focus on staff in world-class growing regions and origins to ensure coffee meets La Minita's high export standards.

Hacienda La Minita Estate is located within Costa Rica's famous Tarrazu region. Due to the excellent geographical environment and microclimate within the estate, La Minita's beans have a more balanced and aromatic taste compared to other Tarrazu region coffees. Although there are variations in altitude and temperature within the estate, fortunately, the large river surrounding the estate minimizes these differences through cooling effects. Additionally, the farm faces west, allowing for gradual warming in the morning and slow cooling in the evening. This unique geographical environment creates exceptionally superior conditions.

Approximately 680 acres of La Minita Estate are planted with four coffee varieties: Caturra, Caturra red, Caturra yellow, and Hibrido. After years of experimental statistical analysis and cupping quality tests, La Minita Estate decided to primarily adopt the Caturra variety while continuously maintaining small quantities of the old Hibrido variety. Although each acre of La Minita plants about 2,500 coffee trees, the planting quantity is still determined based on geographical regional characteristics and coffee tree species.

La Minita Estate currently has approximately 1.7 million trees planted. La Minita employs a 5-year rotation system. After three rounds of pruning (15 years), the coffee trees' resources are nearly depleted. At that time, La Minita will transplant new trees from their own coffee nursery. The nursery is located in a well-protected area within the estate, where new trees are planted for one year before being transplanted to the production farm. La Minita uses fast-growing, broad-leaved "Pror" trees as coffee shade trees. These trees are planted at different densities based on the production area's sunlight needs and temperature control requirements, adjusted according to demand. All estate soils undergo soil testing twice a year. Based on the test results, fertilization decisions are made, with approximately three applications per year. This approach considers both economic and environmental factors. Due to La Minita Estate's climate and altitude, pest populations are significantly limited. Besides not using pesticides, the most important factors are proper planting and weeding techniques.

La Minita determines harvesting based on the ripeness of fruit on each coffee tree, with up to five separate harvests. The harvest season ends after the final picking (around late February). After the harvest season, all coffee fruits, whether ripe or unripe, will be completely picked to prepare the coffee trees for next year's production.

La Magnolia coffee is produced in the Irazu Volcano neighboring area. This volcanic-nurtured specialty coffee is considered Costa Rica's "Bordeaux." This region is located on the Pacific watershed, with distinct dry and wet seasons, average rainfall of 2,250 mm, and approximately 155 rainy days per year. Coffee beans produced under these conditions are harder and have extremely small voids. As one of the most renowned coffee estates in the Tres Rios region, La Magnolia coffee has always enjoyed extremely high recognition worldwide while maintaining consistently careful attitudes and excellent traditions in green bean processing procedures.

Coffee Flavor: Balanced taste with elegant charm permeating honey nut, plum, and passion fruit aromas, while possessing sugar-like wet fragrance, leaving a gentle yet unforgettable impression on your palate.

Costa Rica Coffee Bean Characteristics, Regional Flavors, and Coffee Varieties

FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Coffee Brewing Parameters—Using Siphon Brewer as Example

Siphon Brewer

Unlike the V60 dripper, the siphon brewer primarily uses immersion, so the brewed coffee will have more balanced flavors and a richer body.

The main principle of coffee extraction using a siphon brewer is achieved through pressure difference. First, heat the water in the lower chamber to boiling, then insert the upper chamber, creating a high-pressure state in the lower chamber. Due to the pressure difference between the lower and upper chambers, hot water rises to mix with the coffee grounds in the upper chamber for extraction. After the extraction process is complete, remove the heat source from the lower chamber, instantly reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower chambers. The siphon effect between the upper and lower chambers causes the coffee extract to flow back to the lower chamber.

Parameters & Technique: Grind size: BG 5R (China standard #20 sieve 58% pass rate), Water temperature: 91°C, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:13.

Using a delayed addition method, wait for the water to rise to the upper chamber, then pour 20g of grounds and stir to ensure full contact between coffee grounds and hot water. At 35 seconds, stir three times to increase coffee extraction. At 55 seconds, remove the heat source and stir twice. The time for coffee extract to return to the lower chamber is 1 minute 38 seconds.

Flavor: The aroma has clear fermented fruit notes. The entrance reveals citrus, blueberry, grapefruit, and raspberry flavors, with chocolate liqueur sweetness in the middle, and brown rice tea fragrance in the aftertaste. As the temperature drops, the sour note of smoked plum becomes obvious, with persistent sugar-like sweetness.

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