Costa Rica Tarrazú | La Pira Estate Typica Washed Processing Method

Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop.

Costa Rica Tarrazu | 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 ran it as an organic certified coffee estate. Because of the high costs, however, Carlos chose a different approach to 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 droppings also help 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, so its coffee organizations have complete systems from production to sales. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has consistently received worldwide recognition and is rated as world-class high-quality coffee.

Coffee first appeared in Costa Rica in 1729, introduced from Cuba. That 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 government began strongly supporting the coffee industry with a series of policies. At that time more than a hundred years had passed since coffee arrived in Costa Rica, yet about 70,000 coffee trees had already been planted, showing its rapid development. The government's policies for the coffee industry included:

In 1825, the Costa Rican government implemented tax-exemption policies. In 1832, the 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. (It 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 and competitiveness suffers. So, to improve coffee quality and value, in the early 20th century the government established a law: all coffee farms or plantations in Costa Rica could grow only Arabica coffee, which raised 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 Cafe de Costa Rica, currently taken over by the official coffee committee Oficina del Cafe), primarily to help estates improve everything from cultivation and post-processing to sales systems. The handling of exported coffee is also very meticulous. Among exported lots, 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 policies demonstrate the government's support for the coffee industry while indirectly making Costa Rican coffee excellent in quality and more competitive than other countries'.

Flavor Profile

The dry aroma features citrus, lemon, and roasted almond slices with delicate floral notes. On entry come fresh lemon green tea, citrus, kiwi, honey pomelo tea, and sweet blueberry and strawberry aromas, with a toffee finish. At high temperature there are delicate floral notes, while jasmine aromas become prominent as the cup cools.

Today, Costa Rica's coffee industry is one of the most well-organized 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, account for one-third of global consumption. This shows that its high-quality coffee production has secured its place in the global coffee market, and its popularity cannot be separated from the development history of the coffee industry along the way.

Coffee Details

Region: Tarrazu

Grade: SHB

Altitude: 1,650 meters

Variety: Typica

Processing Method: Washed

FrontStreet Coffee Recommends Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90 degrees Celsius

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

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

Analysis: A three-stage brewing method clearly defines 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.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the clean, bright character of a washed coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Yirgacheffe Gedingding Cooperative is an excellent comparison. Washed processing keeps the bean's own aroma clear, and the Gedingding team, from Gedingding village, expresses jasmine and bright citrus acidity to the fullest, with green tea and honey tones from a medium-light roast. It suits pour-over, cold brew, and espresso alike.

For a sharper fruit-acid structure, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Cherry Tomato is one of the best-known washed representatives, since Kenya excels at the double-washed method of repeated rinsing and soaking that maximizes the juice character. The cup carries cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear, black plum, and brown sugar aromas, with a tangy, juicy sweet-and-sour balance.

And for a classic, balanced washed coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 shows hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel in a pure, clean form, with a balanced body where nothing stands out too far or falls short. It is a fine reference point for anyone learning to appreciate the balance that defines washed coffee at its best.