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The Story Behind the Name of Costa Rica's La Guaca Treasure Estate - Brunca Region Coffee

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). Costa Rica. Brunca. Rivas people. Treasure Estate. Black Honey (2017) Costa Rica Brunca La Guaca Black Honey. Costa Rica. Brunca. Rivas Processing Plant. Treasure Estate. Black Honey □ Region: Brunca

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

If you're looking for a coffee with perfect balance between sweet and sour notes and a smooth mouthfeel, then Costa Rican coffee is definitely the answer. Costa Rica excels at honey processing, something FrontStreet Coffee greatly admires. The fact that a processing method can elevate coffee quality to such levels is remarkable—while coffee varieties are certainly an important factor, it's the dedication to craftsmanship that makes their coffee so captivating.

Costa Rica's coffee industry started early, making it the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee. In 1820, the first batch of coffee was shipped to Colombia. In 1854, it was hailed as "golden beans" by British nobility, and from then on, coffee became Costa Rica's main economic crop. This development elevated the status of Costa Rican coffee farmers.

Only Arabica coffee trees are grown in Costa Rica. The green beans are large and generally of high quality, making them premium coffee.

In the early 20th century, the Costa Rican government established a law: all coffee farms or plantations within Costa Rica could only grow Arabica varieties. Additionally, farmers regularly prune their coffee trees to maintain them at around 2 meters in height for easier harvesting. Robusta varieties became "prohibited substances" within the country.

Eight Major Coffee Regions

West Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba, Guanacaste, Tarrazu.

What is the Cup of Excellence (COE)?

C.O.E. stands for Cup of Excellence, an international coffee cupping competition. The C.O.E. evaluation is the most credible competition for premium coffee. Those who excel in this rigorous competition represent the finest quality coffee from that country for that year. To rank among the top, coffees must consistently achieve high scores in each cupping round before earning the C.O.E. award designation. The winning estate's coffee beans are then auctioned through a unified online platform, allowing buyers worldwide to bid transparently. This approach rapidly increases the visibility of award-winning farms while ensuring better prices for the competition lots.

COE Standards and Classification

Total score of 69 or below: Considered inferior commercial beans or industrial-grade coffee.

Total score between 70-74: Standard commercial-grade coffee.

Total score between 75-79: Premium commercial-grade coffee.

Total score between 80-84: Specialty coffee.

Total score of 85 or above: COE competition-grade coffee, representing Cup of Excellence winners and the highest level recognized by the international coffee community.

Honey Processing

Honey processing refers to the method of drying coffee beans with their mucilage intact. After removing the outer fruit flesh, coffee beans retain a layer of sticky gelatinous substance. Based on different degrees of pulp retention, this method is categorized into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey processing.

Yellow Honey Processing: Retains 20%-50% of the mucilage, dried using sunlight for approximately 8 days until moisture content stabilizes.

Red Honey Processing: Retains over 50% of mucilage, with longer drying time and reduced direct sunlight exposure, using shade nets for approximately two weeks.

Black Honey Processing: Retains over 80% of mucilage, taking approximately 2-3 weeks for drying and dehydration, using shade nets to prevent overly rapid drying and allowing the coffee to fully absorb the sugars converted from the mucilage.

La Guaca Estate

Costa Rica's coffee history spans over 200 years, making it not only an important economic and social foundation for the country but also an indispensable player in global coffee history. In the past decade, it has gained worldwide popularity through its micro-mill approach. In this small Central American nation, unique geographical conditions have created diverse specialty coffees with varied flavor profiles. Here, farmers enjoy excellent working environments and production conditions, supported by democracy and peace, strict labor laws, and proper healthcare systems. Costa Rica is the first country in Central America to completely abolish its military and is home to the United Nations University for Peace.

Located in Costa Rica's remote coffee-growing region, Brunca is situated approximately 150 kilometers southeast of the capital San José, about three and a half hours by car. The journey passes through high-altitude areas of 3,000-3,400 meters where altitude sickness can occur. The producer is Mr. Régulo's family-owned La Guaca Estate. The estate was named "La Guaca" (meaning "treasure") because, according to local legend, indigenous people buried a treasure at this location long ago that has never been found. This naming carries both mystical elements and cultural significance connected to the local heritage. La Guaca Estate began growing coffee about 30 years ago and is still managed today by estate owner Mr. Régulo, his wife Isabel, and their four children: Ricardo, Mario, Esteban, and Luis. They also operate their own "Rivense" micro-mill.

Mr. Régulo aims to create a sustainable coffee industry that allows various organisms to continue thriving in the estate. In addition to preserving native tree species, he has widely planted fruit trees to provide habitat for various birds, implemented soil conservation to protect springs and waterfalls, and has received the Ecologic Blue Flag award for two consecutive years. The estate is situated between two important mountain ranges, Cerro de la Muerte and Cerro Chirripó (Costa Rica's highest peak), at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The natural environment in this region is exceptionally suitable for growing specialty coffee.

Before 2015, after each year's early harvest, La Guaca Estate struggled to find knowledgeable buyers willing to pay reasonable prices for these excellent beans. However, Mr. Régulo didn't become discouraged. Instead, he continued to improve his farming and processing methods and began participating in Costa Rica's Cup of Excellence (COE) competition. After successfully passing the domestic preliminary rounds and narrowly missing winning in the 2014 international selection by just one position, he finally achieved the remarkable result of 33rd place in the 2015 COE competition.