Costa Rica Canet Estate Bahia's Premium Estate Bean Mucilage and Waterless Processing Method

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Canet Estate Musician Series Baha

This is a lot of the Canet Estate's premium Baha beans, processed with a 100% mucilage, waterless honey method. Waterless honey processing is demanding, because timing has to be perfect. On the harvest day the cherries are dried for at least three days; once the optimal moment is found, the skin is removed while the mucilage is kept intact, and the cherries go to the drying beds. At this stage climate is the decisive factor in whether a honey process succeeds. Drying has to be slow enough that the coffee surface ferments, yet not so slow that the beans risk over-soaking. Throughout drying the cherries must be turned frequently to ensure even drying.

The result is a coffee with a rich, varied texture, saturated oils, and very high sweetness. The acidity evolves from berries toward citrus, giving a rich, layered experience at different levels. The cup is juicy with balanced acidity and a delicate, mellow body.

Country: Costa Rica

Region: Tarrazú

Altitude: 1,950m

Processing Method: Raisin Honey Process

Grade: SHB

Variety: Caturra

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this raisin honey profile appeals to you, FrontStreet's Costa Rica Blackberry is a natural next step. It is made with a distinctive black honey process that removes almost none of the mucilage, so drying lasts at least two weeks under shade covers to keep the sun from drying the cherries too fast and to let the sugars convert fully. The cherries are turned at intervals to prevent uneven heat and over-fermentation, a method that takes far more care than ordinary honey processing. Medium-light roasted, it releases a bold floral aroma in the grounds and drinks with grape, berry, and ripe blackberry flavors.

For a different expression of the same honey family, try FrontStreet's Costa Rica Mozart. This lot uses raisin honey processing, an innovative twist on the classic yellow, red, and black honey styles. The coffee cherries are pre-dried on raised beds for at least three days before the skin and pulp are removed and the honey steps continue. Retaining 100% of the mucilage makes this one of the hardest methods to control, even more so than black honey. It brings out a richer, warmer fruit sweetness; whether you brew it as pour-over, cold brew, or moka pot, you will find osmanthus, pineapple, and raisin aromas.

Our Strawberry Candy Geisha blend also leans on Costa Rican honey processing. It combines Panama Geisha, which supplies the classic citrus-and-honey notes, with a Costa Rican coffee processed using the raisin honey method that keeps 100% of the mucilage and uses no water. On harvest day the cherries are floated so that dense, ripe fruit sinks and underdeveloped or overripe fruit is skimmed off, then the selected fruit is dried on raised beds for at least three days, depulped with the mucilage retained, and dried with constant turning for evenness. The cup shows Geisha's floral tea character along with grape and raisin, soft fruit acidity, an almond finish, and clear sweetness.