Introduction to Costa Rica Tarrazú Cooperative and Tarrazú Coffee Flavor Characteristics

Introduction to Costa Rica Tarrazú Cooperative and Tarrazú Coffee Flavor Characteristics

Costa Rica produces the most consistently high-quality coffee in Central America, with a production history stretching back to the 19th century, when its coffee was already being exported to Britain. By law, Robusta (the variety used for canned coffee) is prohibited—only Arabica varieties may be grown. The regions producing the finest coffee are Tarrazú, Western Valley, and Central Valley. In recent years, rising land costs have pushed production down and cultivation costs up, making good Costa Rican coffee harder to obtain.

Coope Tarrazu RL (the Tarrazú Cooperative) was established in 1960 with 228 smallholder coffee farmers. Today it is Costa Rica's largest coffee cooperative, with 3,000 producers turning out more than 110,000 bags of green coffee.

Coope Tarrazu RL looks after its small producers' interests, offering members credit, agronomic technical consultation, guaranteed purchase prices, and investments in ventures such as gas stations, large supermarkets, and retail stores.

Property Characteristics

Farm: Coope Tarrazu RL (Tarrazú Cooperative)

Region: Tarrazú

Country: Costa Rica

Altitude: 1,200-1,800 meters

Annual Precipitation: 3200 mm

Soil: Volcanic clay

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Caturra, Catuai

Processing System: Fully Washed

Harvest period: March - July

Appearance: 16-18 screen

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing

89-90°C water / 1:15 ratio / 2 minutes / Fuji 3.5 grind setting

It features flavors of honey, toffee, and sweet orange.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this washed Tarrazú suits your palate, FrontStreet Coffee suggests exploring more of what fully washed processing does best—coffees with bright acidity, a clean cup, and the bean's own aromatics preserved. The washed Yirgacheffe from the Guodingding Cooperative shows jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, gaining green-tea and honey tones at a medium-light roast, and works for pour-over, cold brew, or espresso. The Kenya Cherry Tomato, built on Kenya's signature double-wash fermentation, is intensely juicy—cherry tomato, smoke plum, snow pear, black plum, and yellow sugar in a sweet-tart, fruit-juice cup that coffee enthusiasts adore. And for a balanced classic, the Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1, washed to suit the island's short daylight hours, delivers pure hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel notes in a perfectly even cup where no single flavor dominates or falls short.