Introduction to Costa Rica's Finca Brumas del Zurqui Estate

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Brumas del Zurqui Estate: A Pioneer in Micromills

Finca Brumas del Zurqui has its own family-owned green coffee processing facility. The original meaning of Brumas is "a valley filled with clouds and mist." In addition to growing coffee, the estate also provides processing services for neighboring estates and small-scale coffee farmers.

In 1880, they began growing coffee. In 2006, Brumas del Zurqui won the Costa Rica National Coffee Competition Championship. The estate's "honey processing method" immediately gained attention from coffee merchants worldwide. Therefore, since 2007, Brumas del Zurqui's coffee beans have always been sold out before the competition.

Costa Rican coffee has always been considered a classic flavor profile of the perfect type—balanced, clean, and mild are its fundamental characteristics. This micro-batch coffee was processed by Brumas del Zurqui's processing plant on behalf of Hacienda Centro. The Juan Ramon Alvarado family of Brumas del Zurqui established the Brumas del Zurqui processing plant in 2004. In 2016, they won third place in the Costa Rica Cup of Excellence (COE) as a processing plant. He currently has two estates: Zamora and La Nena. The coffee varieties cultivated include Bourbon, Caturra, Geisha, and others.

Brumas del Zurqui is recognized as a 'pioneer of micromills! A frequent winner in COE competitions.' It features rich dried fruit aromas, with flavors of sweet peach, plum, and raisin. It offers rich sweet and sour notes, a smooth mouthfeel, and a honey-sweet aftertaste.

The Legacy of Juan Ramon Alvarado Rodriguez

Juan Ramon Alvarado Rodriguez is a fourth-generation coffee farmer. His family's coffee business can be traced back to 1890, when his great-grandfather purchased a piece of land in San Isidro, Heredia, near the capital San Jose. Because the valley is perennially shrouded in clouds and mist, he named the farm Brumas del Zurqui, meaning "a valley filled with clouds."

In 1999, Juan had just graduated from EARTH Agricultural University. The following year, he encountered the collapse of international coffee market prices, and the family's century-old coffee business faced a major crisis. This crisis brought transformation. Juan believed that only by creating added value for coffee beans could he increase product prices and avoid falling into low-price, cutthroat competition.

Innovation and the Birth of Honey Processing

Juan introduced micro-processing equipment from Colombia—Penagos—and began processing green coffee beans on his own farm. Penagos requires only minimal water to remove the fruit skin and mucilage. Juan's professional training at EARTH Agricultural University came into full play at this time. He retained some mucilage for sun-drying, and this became the origin of Costa Rica's "honey processing method"!

In 2004, Juan established the Brumas del Zurqui Micromill. In 2006, he won first place in the National Coffee Competition. This "micromill trend" gradually spread throughout Costa Rica, and now 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

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