Costa Rica SOE Espresso - Why Serve Iced Water with Espresso?

I recently decided to start a new series about attempting to make espresso. Today, the first installment covers attempting SOE (Single Origin Espresso) with Costa Rica's Fire Phoenix Estate Sapphire.

Coffee Bean Information

• Region: Costa Rica, Central Valley
• Estate: Fire Phoenix Estate, Altitude: 1600m
• Processing: Natural Process
• Variety: Caturra Catuai

SOE Espresso Extraction Parameters

• Coffee powder: 16g
• Extracted coffee liquid: 32g
• Extraction time: 35 seconds

SOE Espresso Flavor Description

Blackberry, citrus, fermented wine notes, candied fruit, medium to high acidity, medium to high sweetness, slightly low bitterness, long aftertaste

SOE Milk Coffee Parameters

• Coffee cup capacity: 180ml
• Espresso portion: 32g
• Milk ratio: 1:4.6

SOE Milk Coffee Flavor Description

Obvious floral aroma, slight fermented wine notes in the aftertaste, very high sweetness, reminiscent of milk tea

Conclusion

The roast level of this Costa Rican Fire Phoenix Estate Sapphire is actually better suited to pour-over coffee, so several difficulties arise when preparing it as espresso. First, the beans cannot be too fresh; they need a longer resting period. Insufficient resting time lets the carbon dioxide in the beans obstruct the water flow during extraction, leading to under-extraction.

Second, to bring out the fermented aroma in this coffee and make it more complete, the whole extraction time needs to be extended to a full 35 seconds.

If your conditions allow, why not give it a try? I believe you can discover more different possibilities in these beans.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If putting a lightly roasted single origin through your espresso machine has you itching to experiment further, the V60 is a good companion to keep nearby. Designed by Hario, the Tokyo glassmaker founded in 1921, the V60 was redesigned in 2004 and launched a year later, named for its 60° cone and "V" shape. That cone and angle push the water toward the center before it drips into the server, extending contact between water and grounds, while the single large hole gives the brewer direct control over flow rate and, in turn, over the flavor in the cup.

Floral, fruit-forward coffees do particularly well through a V60. The FrontStreet Gotiti Cooperative shows the classic Yirgacheffe character — jasmine, bright citrus, and green tea and honey after a medium-light roast — while the FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui leans tropical, with strawberry, passion fruit, and jackfruit aromatics and almost no bitterness. If you like Geisha florals, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy blends Panama Gesha with a Costa Rican honey-processed coffee for a bright, sweet, fruit-forward cup; the FrontStreet Mozart brings a raisin-toned complexity.

Want a juicier, more structured option? The FrontStreet Kenya Little Tomato, a washed bean from Kenya's Thika region grown at 1550-1750 meters from SL28 and SL34, is processed with Kenya's K72 double-washed method and delivers cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear, and black plum with a sweet-and-sour, mouth-watering texture. Whether you brew it as a pour-over or push it toward espresso, it holds onto its fruit with remarkable clarity.