Costa Rica El Centro Estate | Red Catuai | Red Honey Process | Brumas Micro-Mill

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Costa Rica Central Valley Brumas El Centro Villa Sarchi Red Honey

Costa Rica Central Valley Brumas Processing Center Centro Estate Villa Sarchi Variety Red Honey Process

The Brumas Micro-Processing Plant, nicknamed "Honey King," is almost universally recognized in Taiwan's specialty coffee industry. It won the Cup of Excellence championship in 2012. The Honey King, which you must taste every year, should not be missed.

Origin Details

• Country: Costa Rica
• Region: Central Valley (West Valley), San Isidro micro-region
• Location: Costa Rica, Heredia, San Isidro, San Francisco
• Micro-Processing Plant: Brumas del Zurqui
• Estate Owner: Alvarado Rodriguez
• Established: 2002
• Altitude: 1,600 m
• Cultivar: This batch is Red Catuai
• Processing Method: Red Honey Process

Flavor Profile

Highland pear, ripe orange fruits, floral notes, roasted walnuts, elegant yet lively acidity, brown sugar aftertaste.

The Brumas Story

Brumas del Zurqui, which won the Costa Rica National Coffee Competition Championship in 2006, means "valley full of clouds and mist" in the local language.

Estate owner Juan Ramon Alvarado holds an agricultural degree from EARTH University and, together with his wife Natalia, represents the fourth generation of coffee farmers. They established the Brumas Micro-Processing Plant in 2004, producing approximately 750 bags of coffee annually.

He uses a BRIX meter to measure sugar content to determine the optimal harvest time for coffee cherries. According to Juan Ramon's test results, the best flavor balance point for sweet and sour harmony occurs when sugar content reaches 15.5%.

After coffee picking, the fruit skin is first removed, and a pulp scraper is used to control the degree of pulp removal, retaining a certain amount of mucilage. Unlike traditional washed processing, this method doesn't use fermentation to remove the mucilage layer; instead, it allows drying with this mucilage layer intact before directly removing the mucilage and parchment.

Juan Ramon calls the coffee produced by this processing method "Honey Coffee." This flavor profile—low acidity, increased complexity, and rich sweet aroma—is achieved through stable, uniform, and careful drying processes. The sugars and alcohol compounds in the surrounding pectin increase sweetness and create a fuller body through diffusion, followed by drying on mesh beds.

This processing method requires only 5% of the water used in traditional washed processing plants. It doesn't require large washing tanks or drying patios. The flavor expression depends on the degree of pulp retention, challenging the processor's skill and precision.

Although there are risks during processing—such as too much pulp remaining causing drying failures and mold, uneven drying or too rapid drying causing over-fermentation—this emerging processing method has become popular in Central America in recent years and has excelled in various coffee competitions.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-Over Technique Recommendations:

V60 dripper, medium-fine grind, water-to-coffee ratio 1:16, water temperature 89-91°C

Other Brewing Suggestions:

• French Press: Medium grind, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, water temperature 88-90°C
• Siphon: Medium-fine grind, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, water temperature 88-90°C

About FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans. Online store services are also available. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473