Introduction to Costa Rica's Las Lajas Estate - How to Brew Costa Rican Coffee

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Among the refined natural and honey processing methods now popular in Costa Rica, Las Lajas Estate was one of the first farms to research and apply them systematically, and for many years it has been a favorite among buyers worldwide. Today the estate is run jointly by third-generation owner Francisca Cubillo and her husband Oscar. It sits in the Central Valley region, not far from the capital and close to Poás Volcano, at altitudes between 1,250 and 1,500 meters, producing roughly 55,200 kilograms a year.

Years ago Francisca set out to push the flavor expression of the estate's coffee further. At the time, the great majority of Costa Rican farmers still relied on traditional washed processing to supply the American and European markets. So she began reworking piece after piece of equipment on the farm to suit natural and honey processing. During harvest, she uses a Brix meter to screen cherries against her standards, built her own washing station, and finally laid the coffee out on African drying beds for sun-drying.

Among the coffees produced at Las Lajas, the owner sorts honey-processed and natural lots into separate items according to how they express flavor. For honey processing, most Costa Rican farmers use the depulper at their washing station to control how much pulp is retained. Las Lajas chose a different route: keeping 100% of the pulp while managing drying time and turning frequency on the African beds to shape different flavor expressions. Within honey processing, the estate separates coffee into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Parameters:

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

French Press: Recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C

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

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

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Las Lajas' honey-processed style is what draws you in, FrontStreet Coffee roasts a range built on exactly that method. The Costa Rica Blackberry uses a distinctive black honey process, which keeps virtually all of the mucilage. Drying runs for at least two weeks under cover to keep strong sun from drying the cherries too quickly, so the sugars convert fully; the beds are turned at intervals to prevent uneven heat and over-fermentation. It takes more care than most methods, and the payoff is a light-medium roast that grinds into a dense floral aroma and drinks with grape, berry, and ripe blackberry notes.

For a blend that pairs honey-processed Costa Rican coffee with the classic Geisha profile, try the Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend. It combines Panama Geisha — for the signature orange-blossom, honeyed character — with a Costa Rican raisin-honey lot that retains 100% of the pectin and uses a zero-water method. The cherries are floated to remove underripe and overripe fruit, dried on raised beds for at least three days, then depulped with the mucilage left on and dried further with constant turning. The result carries Geisha's floral, tea-like lift alongside grape and raisin sweetness, soft fruit acidity, an almond finish, and obvious sweetness.

Another estate innovation worth tasting is the raisin-honey process behind Costa Rica Mozart. Here the whole cherries are pre-dried on raised beds for at least three days before the skin and pulp are removed and the honey steps continue — a variant that is trickier to control even than black honey because timing is so critical. It brings a richer, warmer fruit sweetness to the cup; whether you brew it as pour-over, cold brew, or in a moka pot, you get its distinctive osmanthus, pineapple, and raisin aromas.