Costa Rica | Tarrazú | Dota Summit Estate Underflow Micromill Washed

FrontStreet Coffee Single Origin: Costa Rica Tarrazú, La Cumbre de Dota Estate, Bajo del Rio Micro-Mill Washed

Green Bean Origin: Central America, Costa Rica, Tarrazú

Altitude: 1850 - 1900 meters

Producer: La Cumbre de Dota Estate

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

Mill: Bajo del Rio Micro-Mill

Processing Method: Washed

Moisture Content: 10.6%

Harvest Season: 2016

Flavor Notes: Honey, roasted hazelnut, citrus grapefruit, oolong tea

Recommended Roast Level: Medium-light roast, developing for 12-13°C after first crack, reducing heat as first crack becomes dense so as to develop sweetness and mouthfeel.

Costa Rica has fertile volcanic soil, a mild and suitable climate, stable and abundant rainfall, and plenty of sunshine and temperature difference, which makes the country naturally a major coffee producer of both commercial and specialty beans. Its distinctive processing methods have earned worldwide recognition in recent years.

Costa Rica is divided into seven producing regions, and Tarrazú is the country's most famous coffee region, known for unique aromas, bright acidity and a solid body. Within Tarrazú, the coffee from the Dota area is the most renowned.

La Cumbre de Dota Estate lies in the mountainous area between Tarrazú and Dota, where very high altitude and distinct dry and wet seasons create an exceptional growing environment. The famous Bajo del Rio Micro-Mill is known for its honey processing. The estate won 4th place at CoE 2011 and 6th place at CoE 2012.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Washed coffee keeps the bean's own aromatics front and center, and if that clean style is what you enjoy, FrontStreet's washed lineup is a good match. FrontStreet Gudingding Cooperative is a washed Ethiopian coffee from Gudingding village in the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe — once part of the Worka cooperative under the YCFCU alliance and later recognized worldwide as a single-origin micro-lot. Its skilled traditional washing pushes jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity to the front, and roasted medium-light it adds green tea and honey notes. It suits pour-over, cold brew and espresso alike.

For a more complex washed cup, FrontStreet Kenya Little Tomato is one of the best-known representatives of the style. Kenya excels at double washing, and with an extra washing step — flotation, removing the pulp, soaking and washing off residual mucilage, soaking again, then drying and hulling — this bean delivers juice to the extreme: cherry tomato, dark plum, snow pear, grape and brown sugar, tart and juicy with a bright, solid acidity. It comes from Kenya's Thika region, grown at 1550-1750 meters from the SL28 and SL34 varieties.

For a washed coffee with a heavier, more classical balance, FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is grown from Typica. Jamaica is an island climate with relatively short daylight hours; to reduce the risk of the beans spoiling, coffee there is washed — the fruit, pulp and mucilage are removed before drying, which shortens drying time and yields bright, low-defect beans. The cup shows hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel, balanced with no single flavor overwhelming the others.