Costa Rica Western Valley | San Rafael Micro-Mill Honey Process Caturra

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Costa Rica Western Valley | What are the flavor profiles of San Rafael Micro-Mill's Honey-Processed Caturra and Catuai?

Costa Rica is renowned for producing the most stable and highest quality coffee in Central America. Coffee production has a very long history there, with exports to the UK dating back to the 19th century. In Costa Rica, the Robusta variety is legally prohibited from cultivation—only Arabica varieties are permitted. Common varieties include Caturra, Catuai, Villasarchi, Geisha, Bourbon, and Villalobos, making it one of the most diverse countries in terms of coffee varieties.

In recent years, the trend of honey-processed beans (Miel Process) originated in Costa Rica. Today, Costa Rica has developed a "micro-mill" revolution, with the main philosophy being that every small Costa Rican farm should have its own dedicated processing facilities. This allows farmers to handle their coffee beans in the most suitable manner from harvest to processing and bagging, while also maintaining freshness and avoiding overripe defects through systematic arrangements. This approach achieves the highest possible quality.

The Monte Crisol brand specializes in producing coffee beans for American merchants and belongs to the CoopePalmares cooperative in the Western Valley. It is a well-functioning cooperative with approximately 1,350 members, all of whom share the benefits of coffee production, including medical and financial services. The coffee is grown under shade at temperatures of 23°C and rainfall of 1,800mm, with minimal water consumption and organic fertilizers used. It is certified with ISO9001/14001. This particular batch consists of honey-processed beans from their San Rafael farm.

Property Characteristics

Farm: San Rafael

City: Alajuela

Region: Western Valley

Country: Costa Rica

Altitude: 1,300-1,500 meters

Certification: Utzkapeh

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Caturra, Catuai

Processing System: Honey Process (after harvesting, the pulp is immediately removed while retaining the mucilage layer, then dried on elevated bamboo racks at the drying field. After drying, the coffee beans with their film are removed by machine to obtain the coffee beans.)

Appearance: 17-18 screen

Grade: S.H.B (Strictly Hard Bean)

Top Jury Descriptions: Cupped at Cinnamon roast level (60 seconds after first crack begins)

Aroma/Flavor: Peanut, cardamom, spices, jasmine tea, mint

Acidity: Cherry, sweet persimmon, citrus, green apple

Complexity & Other: Lively and bright with high acidity, quick transition from acidic to sweet, stimulates salivation, with sweetness gradually emerging

Overall Style: Fruity sweetness, barley tea flavor, relatively high acidity

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Technique: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water and let it bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour up to 120g and 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 minutes.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and faster drainage, pausing during pouring helps 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