Introduction to Costa Rica's Finca Brumas del Zurqui Estate

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Brumas del Zurqui Estate: A Pioneer Among Micromills

Finca Brumas del Zurqui runs its own family-owned green coffee mill. "Brumas" literally means "a valley filled with clouds and mist." Beyond growing its own coffee, the estate also processes for neighboring estates and smallholder farmers.

The family began growing coffee in 1880. In 2006, Brumas del Zurqui won the Costa Rica National Coffee Competition championship, and its honey processing instantly drew attention from coffee merchants worldwide—so much so that since 2007, its beans have sold out before the competition even takes place.

Costa Rican coffee has always been held up as the classic, complete flavor profile: balanced, clean, and mild are its fundamentals. This micro-batch was processed by Brumas del Zurqui on behalf of Hacienda Centro. The Juan Ramon Alvarado family founded the Brumas del Zurqui processing plant in 2004, and in 2016 the mill took third place in the Costa Rica Cup of Excellence. Juan currently owns two estates, Zamora and La Nena, growing varieties that include Bourbon, Caturra, and Geisha. Brumas del Zurqui is recognized as "a pioneer of micromills and a frequent winner in COE competitions," with rich dried-fruit aromas, flavors of sweet peach, plum, and raisin, lush sweet-and-sour notes, a smooth mouthfeel, and a honey-sweet finish.

The Legacy of Juan Ramon Alvarado Rodriguez

Juan Ramon Alvarado Rodriguez is a fourth-generation coffee farmer. The family business traces back to 1890, when his great-grandfather bought land in San Isidro, Heredia, near the capital San Jose. Because the valley is perennially wrapped in cloud, he named the farm Brumas del Zurqui—"a valley filled with clouds."

In 1999, Juan had just graduated from EARTH Agricultural University when the international coffee price collapsed the following year, plunging the century-old family business into crisis. That crisis forced a transformation. Juan reasoned that only by creating added value could he command higher prices and escape cutthroat, low-margin competition.

Innovation and the Birth of Honey Processing

Juan brought in micro-processing equipment from Colombia—Penagos—which needs only minimal water to strip the skin and mucilage. His training at EARTH came into full play: he retained some of the mucilage for sun drying, and that decision became the origin of Costa Rica's honey processing method.

In 2004, Juan established the Brumas del Zurqui micromill, and in 2006 he won first place in the National Coffee Competition. The micromill trend spread across the country, and today there are more than 150 micromills nationwide.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing parameters:

Pour-over: V60 dripper, Fuji R440 grinder setting 3.5, water temperature around 90°C

French press: Recommended grinder setting 4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: Recommended grinder setting 4, water temperature 90°C–91°C

AeroPress: Recommended grinder setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the Geisha in Brumas del Zurqui's varietal lineup piques your interest, FrontStreet's entry-level Granana Gesha is the friendliest way in. From a washing station founded in 2014 at the border of Kochere and the Granana Abaya area—run by Mr. Israel Degefa over 700 hectares, most of it untouched, fertile, shade-covered land—this Ethiopian heirloom Gesha is hand-picked at full ripeness and sun-dried on raised beds for 14–20 days depending on the weather. Roasted medium-light, it keeps a pleasant white floral note while highlighting the sweet-tart character of orange, guava, and citrus, with a cleaner, clearer finish. As for brewing, Geisha is a medium-light, floral-fruity bean with a hard structure that can sink and clog the dripper, so FrontStreet recommends a coarser grind—about 78% passing a #20 sieve (roughly fine-sugar size)—with water at 91°C: 15g of coffee in a small Hario V60 at a 1:16 ratio, in three pours—30g to start with a 30-second bloom, then to 125g, then to 225g once the bed drains halfway—for a total extraction of about 2 minutes 10 seconds to 2 minutes 20 seconds.