How to Roast Tarrazu SHB Coffee Beans_Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee Price Report

Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee Beans

Costa Rica Tarrazu beans are classified as S.H.B. (Strictly Hard Bean), the highest grade in Costa Rica's coffee grading system. They show rich coffee oils, balanced aromatics, and a mild chocolate fragrance with a sweet aftertaste. Widely popular worldwide, they are counted among the finest coffees anywhere.

Whether enjoyed as a single-origin brew or blended with milk for specialty drinks, the flavor profile is exceptionally well suited.

Flavor Characteristics

Acidity: Bright and vibrant

Body: Rich and full-bodied

Food Pairing: Light sandwiches, strawberry cake, artisanal cookies, nuts, and chocolate

Costa Rica's Premium Coffee Region

Coffee from Costa Rica's high-altitude regions is world-renowned for its intensity, mild flavor, and pronounced acidity. Beans there undergo meticulous processing, and that is precisely why they reach such high quality. Costa Rica's Tarrazu region, south of the capital San Jose, is one of the country's most valued coffee-growing areas.

Tarrazu is one of the world's major coffee-producing regions, yielding coffee with light, pure flavors and delightful aromatics. Costa Rica's volcanic soil is exceptionally fertile and well drained, and the country was the first in Central America to cultivate coffee and bananas commercially. Coffee and bananas remain its primary exports. Coffee was brought to Costa Rica from Cuba in 1729, and today its coffee industry is among the best organized in the world, achieving yields up to 1,700 kilograms per hectare. With a population of only 3.5 million, Costa Rica has over 400 million coffee trees, and coffee exports account for 25% of the country's total export value. Costa Rica also benefits from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) established in Tarrazu, which serves as an important international research center.

Strictly Hard Bean (S.H.B.) Classification

Premium Costa Rican coffee is known as "Strictly Hard Bean" (S.H.B.), which indicates coffee grown above 1,500 meters. Altitude has always been a crucial factor for growers. Higher altitudes produce better beans not only because they raise acidity and enhance flavor but also because lower nighttime temperatures slow tree growth, concentrating flavor. In addition, the altitude gradient brings abundant rainfall, which benefits coffee cultivation greatly.

S.H.B. denotes strictly hard beans grown above 1,500 meters and signals high-quality Costa Rican coffee. These strictly hard beans, suited to medium and dark roasts, have strong acidity and captivating aromatics. Costa Rican SHG (Strictly High Grown) coffee typically has full, uniform beans, clear flavors, bright acidity, and ideal viscosity. The robust flavor creates a long, memorable finish that lingers on the palate.

Other noteworthy coffees include Juan Vinas (PR), H. Tournon, Windmill (SHB), Montebello, and Santa Rosa. Premium coffee generally grows in the Heredia and Central Valley regions. Another remarkable coffee is Sarchi coffee (Sarchi is one of five towns along Costa Rica's "Coffee Route"), grown on the slopes of Poas Volcano, 53 kilometers from San Jose. The Sarchi company was founded in 1949, with a land area of 30,770 hectares cultivating sugarcane and coffee. The region is also famous for handicrafts, attracting tourists from around the world.

The Costa Rican Coffee Revolution

Costa Rica's finest coffee apparently comes from small processing mills scattered throughout the major coffee regions, including Tarrazu and the Western Valley. This so-called coffee revolution, which began 15 years ago, has dramatically changed how roasting experts and importers perceive Costa Rican coffee. Centered on processing mills that collect beans from surrounding small farms, these farms are typically small communities or family operations growing coffee on their own small plots, with all coffee processed and dried by a single small mill.

Tarrazu Coffee Roasting Analysis

Tarrazu coffee grows at relatively high altitudes, while coffee grown lower is usually considered soft bean coffee. Higher altitudes and lower temperatures slow fruit maturation, producing harder, less porous beans. Look at the center line of green coffee beans: the more open the center line, the lower the bean's density, and if the center line is closed, density will be higher.

FrontStreet Coffee suggests keeping thorough records before roasting: bean moisture content, density, origin, processing method, and the ambient temperature and humidity of the roasting room, then planning your roasting curve accordingly. Recording the chemical and physical changes during roasting will help you better understand the final result and improve your curve.

This Caturra variety, processed by the honey method, has high density and uniform, full beans (thick from core to surface). Roasting method: extend the roasting time, adjust heat once dehydration is complete, open the damper to maximum at first crack, and develop for 2 minutes before dropping the beans.

Roasting Profile

Preheat the roaster to 200°C, charge the beans with the damper at 3. After 1 minute, reduce heat to 160°C with the damper unchanged. At 5'35", the temperature reaches 152°C, the beans turn yellow, the grassy aroma disappears completely, and dehydration is complete. Reduce heat to 130°C and the damper to 4.

At 8'40", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, the toast aroma clearly shifts to coffee aroma, and this can be defined as the first crack prelude. Listen carefully for the first crack sound. At 9'00" first crack begins; reduce heat to 70°C and open the damper fully (adjust heat very carefully, not so low that cracking stops), then drop the beans at 196.0°C.

Cupping Notes

Dry Aroma: Floral, creamy, citrus, lemon, sugarcane sweetness

Wet Aroma: Toffee sweetness, white grape, wild berries

Slurping: Berry compote, sweet orange, peach, pomelo, juicy sensation, natural sweetness, delicate texture, overall perfect and balanced.

Recommended Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Costa Rica Tarrazu beans, in the Shumava Estate Black Honey Process, offer complete assurance in brand and quality. More importantly, they provide exceptional value: a half-pound (227g) package costs only 95 yuan. At 15g per single-origin cup, one package makes 15 cups, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan, extremely good value compared with the dozens of yuan typically charged per cup in coffee shops.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you are looking for an Italian-style blend to pull at home, FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend is a rewarding place to start. This medium-dark espresso recipe combines three origins, inspired by the "Mamba" style once popular in the classic era, a pairing of Mandheling and Brazil. To add aroma and crema, FrontStreet's Classic Blend also includes a small amount of Robusta, which lifts the flavor's intensity so even a beginner can pull a shot with golden crema at home.

It was designed for newcomers, for anyone learning latte art, and for specialty cafes chasing a high-end positioning. The result is a dependable, full-flavored base with a rich, oily crema that holds its shape.

Because it is an espresso blend, it performs best in an espresso machine: keep the grind fine and even and watch the shot time, and it will produce the golden crema and rounded body that make it a favorite.