2016 COE 2nd Place Costa Rica | Central Valley [Honey King] Brumas del Zurqui Region Caturra Red Honey Process

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

2016 COE 2nd Place Costa Rica | Central Valley's "Honey King" Brumas Region Caturra Red Honey Processing Flavor?

Brumas Estate & Micro-Mill (Brumas del Zurqui), known as the "Honey King," is renowned in Taiwan's specialty coffee industry. "Brumas" means "valley full of clouds" in the local language. Estate owner Juan Ramon Alvarado is a fourth-generation coffee farmer with an agricultural degree from EARTH University. His family began growing coffee in 1880, but it wasn't until 2004 that they established their own processing plant, producing approximately 750 bags of coffee annually, making them a quality-focused rather than quantity-focused coffee producer. Juan Ramon Alvarado uses a BRIX instrument to measure fruit sugar content to determine the optimal harvest time for coffee cherries (according to Juan Ramon's practical experience, the best flavor performance with balanced sweetness and acidity occurs when sugar content reaches 15.5%).

According to the estate's processing method, coffee cherries are first depulped after harvesting, using a pulp scraper to control the proportion of pulp removal while retaining a certain degree of mucilage layer. Unlike traditional washed processing, this method doesn't use fermentation to remove the mucilage layer. Instead, it allows the cherries to dry directly with this mucilage layer intact, after which the dried mucilage layer and parchment are removed. Juan Ramon calls the coffee produced by this processing method "Honey Coffee." This results in low acidity, enhanced flavor complexity, and rich sweet aromas. Through a stable and uniform careful sun-drying process, sugars and alcohol compounds from the surrounding pectin diffuse through the coffee, increasing sweetness and creating a fuller body texture, followed by drying on raised beds. This processing method uses only 5% of the water required by traditional washed processing plants. The flavor expression depends on the proportion of pulp retained, challenging the processor's skill and courage. Although there are risks during processing such as drying failures leading to mold, or uneven or too-rapid drying causing excessive fermentation, this emerging processing method has become popular in Central America in recent years and has shone brilliantly in various coffee competitions.

Brumas Micro-Mill won first place in Costa Rica's Cup of Excellence in 2012, and continued to take second place consecutively in 2015 and 2016. Their exquisite processing technology and level are truly impressive.

Coffee Details

2016 COE 2nd Place; 2015 COE 2nd Place; 2012 COE 1st Place.

Region: Central Valley, San Isidro micro-region.

Location: Costa Rica, Heredia, San Isidro, San Francisco

Producer: Brumas Micro-Mill (Brumas del Zurqui)

Director: Alvarado Rodriguez

Established: 2002

Altitude: 1,600 m

Processing Method: Red Honey Processing

Variety: Caturra

Flavor Description: Vanilla, candied fruit, orange marmalade, small flowers, cocoa notes, rounded acidity, full body texture.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended 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, bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120g water, then stop pouring. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time approximately 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 faster drainage, stopping the water flow can help extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473