Costa Rica Tarrazú | La Pira Estate Typica Washed Processing Method

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Costa Rica Tarrazú | La Pira Estate Typica Washed Processing Flavor

La Pira Estate, named after the nickname "PIRO" of Carlos's father Gilberto Urena, has a 50-year history. After inheriting the family farm, Carlos initially operated it as an organic certified coffee production estate. However, due to high costs, Carlos chose another method of estate management in recent years. He raises goats and other animals that eat weeds within the estate, directly reducing the need for chemical or organic herbicides. The animals not only have other economic value but their excrement also helps fertilize the coffee trees, making the estate's coffee clean and distinctly sweet. The estate is located in the Dota Valley, where varied climate characteristics provide ideal temperatures for coffee bean growth.

La Pira Estate achieved excellent results in the Cup of Excellence (COE) in 2009, 2011, and 2012, with a high score of 88.85 points securing third place in the 2011 C.O.E.

Costa Rica's Coffee Growing Regions

Costa Rica's seven main coffee growing regions are distributed from northwest to southeast along the inland central highlands. The country's volcanic terrain provides fertile volcanic ash, moderate and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—all factors contributing to coffee becoming one of Costa Rica's main agricultural products. Since the coffee industry began developing in the mid-18th century, Costa Rica has become the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee and has a long history. Consequently, coffee organizations have complete systems from production to sales. In terms of both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently received worldwide recognition and has been rated as world-class high-quality coffee.

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 value. Subsequently, after Costa Rica gained independence from Spain in 1821, the local government began strongly supporting the coffee industry with a series of policies. At that time, it was over a hundred years since coffee was introduced to Costa Rica, but about 70,000 coffee trees had already been planted, showing its rapid development. The local government's policies for the coffee industry included:

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

As can be imagined, when production increases, quality becomes uneven, 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 coffee, thereby enhancing competitiveness. This explains why Costa Rican coffee quality is so superior today: all coffee from Costa Rica is Arabica, and you cannot find any Robusta varieties.

Subsequently, in 1948, the Costa Rican government established a dedicated coffee department (now the Costa Rican Coffee Industry Institute ICAFE: Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, currently taken over by the official coffee committee Oficina del Café), primarily to assist estates in improving from cultivation, post-processing to sales systems. The handling of exported coffee is also very meticulous. Among exported coffee, beans considered unqualified are colored with blue plant dye 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 various 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.

Flavor Profile

Dry aroma features citrus, lemon, roasted almond slices, with delicate floral notes. The entry brings fresh lemon green tea, citrus, kiwi, honey pomelo tea, sweet blueberry, strawberry aromas, with a toffee finish. At high temperatures, there are delicate floral notes, while jasmine aromas become prominent as it cools.

Today, Costa Rica's coffee industry is one of the most well-organized industries in the world, with yields reaching up to 1,700 kilograms per hectare. The country has a population of 3.5 million but can have as many as 400 million coffee trees, with coffee exports accounting for 25% of total export value. Costa Rica's coffee production areas, with various grades and types of coffee, account for one-third of global consumption. This demonstrates that her high-quality coffee production has secured her place in the global coffee market, and her popularity cannot ignore the development history of the coffee industry along the way.

Coffee Details

Region: Tarrazú

Grade: SHB

Altitude: 1,650 meters

Variety: Typica

Processing Method: Washed

FrontStreet Coffee Recommends Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First pour 25g water for 25s bloom. Second pour to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly define the front, middle, and back end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring can extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

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