What are the flavor and texture characteristics of Costa Rica La Hacienda Natural Process "Black Soul" bean? How should you brew pour-over coffee with it?

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What are the flavor and taste characteristics of Costa Rican Las Lajas Estate Natural Process "Black Soul"? How to brew Costa Rican coffee with pour-over method for the best taste?

Las Lajas Estate is located in the Central Valley region at the foot of the Poás de Alajuela volcano. It has been operated by the Chacón family for over 80 years. The estate sits at an altitude of 1,300-1,500 meters with an annual production of approximately 46,000 kilograms. The harvest season at Las Lajas Estate runs from December to February each year. The estate owners insist on harvesting only fully ripe, red fruits, and mostly use honey processing and natural methods to enhance the coffee's sweetness and body. The coffee is placed on African-style raised beds to ensure uniform sun exposure and avoid over-fermentation. The estate has also actively obtained international organic certifications, currently certified by USDA Organic (USA), JAS (Japan), and NOP.

In 1729, coffee first appeared in Costa Rica, introduced from Cuba. This made Costa Rica the first country in Central America to grow coffee and the first to cultivate it for commercial purposes. Later, after Costa Rica gained independence from Spain in 1821, the local government began implementing a series of policies to strongly support the coffee industry. By then, it had been over a hundred years since coffee was introduced to Costa Rica, and approximately 70,000 coffee trees had already been planted, demonstrating its rapid development. The government policies for the coffee industry included:

As one can imagine, when production increases, quality can become inconsistent, affecting competitiveness. Therefore, to improve coffee quality and its value, in the early 20th century, the government established a law: all coffee farms or plantations within Costa Rica could only grow Arabica varieties, thereby enhancing competitiveness. This explains why Costa Rican coffee quality is so superior today: all coffee from Costa Rica is Arabica, and you absolutely cannot find Robusta varieties.

Later in 1948, the Costa Rican government established a dedicated coffee department (which is now the Costa Rican Coffee Institute ICAFE: Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, now taken over by the official coffee body Oficina del Café). Its main purpose was to guide estates in improving everything from cultivation and post-processing to sales systems. The handling of exported coffee was also very meticulous. Among exported coffee, beans deemed unqualified were dyed with blue plant-based coloring and then returned for domestic sale. Today, about one-third of Costa Rica's population works in coffee or coffee-related industries, and local per capita coffee consumption is twice that of Italy or the United States. These policies demonstrate the government's support for the coffee industry, while indirectly making Costa Rican coffee quality excellent and more competitive compared to other countries.

In 1825, the Costa Rican government implemented a tax exemption policy. In 1832, the local government enacted a law: "Those who cultivate coffee shall own their land," meaning that if coffee farmers planted coffee on any unoccupied, unclaimed land, they could directly own that piece of land. This law encouraged many people to plant coffee and promoted its development. (This also indirectly explains why most Costa Rican coffee now comes from private estates.)

Coffee Details

Region: Central Valley

Grade: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)

Processing Method: Natural Process

Altitude: 1,300-1,500 meters

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Flavor Notes: Passion fruit, drupe fruits, black jujube, blueberry.

Recommended Brewing Method

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

V60 dripper, 15g of coffee, water temperature 89°C, Fuji Royal grinder setting 4, water-to-coffee ratio approximately 1:15.

30ml water for bloom, bloom time 30s.分段：Pour water to 130ml and stop, wait for the water level to drop by 1/3, then pour water again to 225ml.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473