The Story Between Latin American Coffee and Starbucks: How Much Does a Cup of Latin American Coffee Cost?

Latin America Coffee Growing Regions

Latin America, where coffee trees were first cultivated in the 18th century, is blessed by the Amazon River, the world's largest river system with the most tributaries and the greatest flow. This has nurtured a diverse rainforest ecosystem. With advantages including abundant sunshine, high mountains, fertile moist soil, and diverse microenvironments, Latin America has now become the world's most important coffee-growing region.

Coffee from Latin America is predominantly processed using the washed method. This rigorous processing ensures high-quality coffee beans with low defect rates and large, complete beans.

Generally, coffees from this region offer pleasant aromas and exceptionally balanced flavor profiles. They typically feature distinctive cocoa notes combined with refreshing, lively acidity, making for a very delightful single-origin coffee experience.

We have chosen the name "Rio Amazonas" to represent this region's diverse and romantic collection of premium coffee beans.

Costa Rica Coffea Diversa Dilla

Processing Method: Honey Process

Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast

Price: NT$ 750 (half pound)

Flavor Notes: Dynamic spice and fruit flavors reminiscent of various types of sweet preserves, with candied grapes and the juicy essence of oranges and mandarins revealing themselves as the temperature changes.

Bolivia Yungas Caranavi Collasuyo Nicolas

Processing Method: Washed Process

Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast

Price: NT$ 400 (half pound)

Flavor Notes: The delicate fragrance of lightly roasted high-mountain tea, creamy notes, and almond-like nutty tones. As the temperature drops slightly, the acidity of red plums interweaves with grape-like sweetness in perfect harmony. The overall mouthfeel is smooth and refreshing with a tea-like finish, while the aftertaste reveals subtle notes of roasted black beans and rice.

Nicaragua RFA La Bastilla Estate

Processing Method: Honey Process

Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast

Price: NT$ 380 (half pound)

Flavor Notes: Rich cherry aroma with low acidity on entry, reminiscent of a delicate mango flavor. The aftertaste and finish offer black chocolate fragrance, creating a comfortable and sweet sensation.

Colombia San Augustin

Processing Method: Washed Process

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Price: NT$ 600 (half pound)

Flavor Notes: Featuring the typical characteristics of high-altitude Central American origins, with gentle and delicate flavors. The coffee's acidity, fruit notes, and sweetness are skillfully balanced without conflict, creating a natural and smooth aftertaste.

Guatemala Antigua Flora

Processing Method: Washed Process

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Price: NT$ 480 (half pound)

Flavor Notes: A unique floral aroma combined with smooth, fresh citrus notes creates a distinctive yet perfectly harmonious interplay of floral and fruity sweetness. Similar to a red wine finish with subtle smoky notes, it establishes Flora coffee's silk-like, elegant, and refined style.

Guatemala Antigua Flora-Bella Carmona

Processing Method: Washed Process

Roast Level: Light-Medium Roast / Medium Roast

Price: NT$ 480 (half pound)

Flavor Notes: An exceptionally elegant floral profile with clear apple fragrance, nutty and creamy notes, sweet lemon, and distinct yet gentle layers of fruit acidity. Similar to red wine with subtle smoky notes, this coffee is sweet, round, and smooth, with a caramel and chocolate-like aftertaste. The overall mouthfeel is clean and bright. Dynamic spice and fruit flavors reminiscent of various types of sweet preserves, with candied grapes and the juicy essence of oranges and mandarins revealing themselves as the temperature changes.

Tolima Coffee Beans / Colombia

Processing Method: Natural Process

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Price: NT$ 480 (half pound)

Flavor Notes: Features caramel, brown sugar, apple, almond nuts, thyme, and sweet tobacco notes with a perfume-like rich fragrance and balanced acidity.

Latin America Coffee Brand Recommendations

The various Latin American coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee carry full guarantees in both brand and quality, and offer a broad range of regional styles to explore.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Among the many processing methods of Latin America, honey processing is the one that best captures the region's sweet, fruit-forward side. It began as semi-washed processing, a method that removes the coffee skin before drying to shorten the drying time and avoid the off-flavors of poor fermentation, and it was refined in Costa Rica into the black, red, yellow, and white honey styles, distinguished by how much mucilage is left on the bean and how long it dries.

FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Blackberry Coffee uses the black honey process, which removes almost none of the mucilage and dries for at least two weeks under cover, so the sugars convert fully and the cup develops intense floral aromas with grape, berry, and ripe blackberry flavors. If you want a blend built on the same idea, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Coffee combines raisin-honey-processed Costa Rican coffee with washed Panamanian Geisha for floral tea notes, raisins and blueberries, soft fruit acidity, an almond finish, and clear sweetness. The FrontStreet Costa Rica Mozart Coffee, made with the innovative raisin honey process that retains 100% of the mucilage, brings osmanthus, pineapple, and raisin aromas to pour-over, cold brew, or moka pot alike.