Costa Rica Black Soul Flavor Description - Is Costa Rica Black Soul Good? Pour-over Steps and Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Finca Las Lajas , Alma Negra

Flavor Description

"Organic ecological estate, challenging high-difficulty natural processing" Light fruit fermentation aroma, with a sweet and sour smooth taste, featuring berry dried fruit, black jujube, and stone fruit flavors, with a sweet and smooth aftertaste.

Production Information

Country: Costa Rica
Region: Central Valley
Producer: Finca Las Lajas
Altitude: 1300-1500 meters
Varieties: Caturra & Catuai
Processing Method: Natural Process Alma Negra
Roast Level: Medium-Light Roast

Coffee Story: Organic Ecological Estate

Finca Las Lajas is located in the famous coffee-producing region of Costa Rica - the Central Valley, belonging to the Poás volcanic mountain range. Due to fertile soil and rich mineral content, it provides excellent conditions for producing high-quality coffee. The estate's renowned reputation comes not only from its excellent coffee quality but also from its commitment to organic ecological farming methods. It began implementing organic farming in 1990 and became the first coffee estate in Costa Rica to obtain organic certification in 2000. Currently, it is certified by three international organic organizations: USDA, JAS, and NOP.

Oscar Chacon, the third-generation operator of the estate, stated that promoting organic certification not only faced significant challenges in agricultural techniques but also severe economic pressure from reduced production. In the third year of implementation, the estate's annual production dropped to only 20% of its previous level. However, none of this affected their determination to promote organic practices. Staying away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides not only protects environmental sustainability but also cares for the health of coffee farmers.

Innovative Natural Processing - Costa Rica Alma Negra

Finca Las Lajas exclusively uses honey processing and natural processing methods for their green coffee beans, developing characteristics that distinguish them from other estates. Among these, honey processing is divided into three types based on the amount of mucilage retained: yellow honey, red honey, and black honey. Natural processing is divided into two products based on different fermentation levels: Pearl Negra and Alma Negra. Pearl Negra, similar to the Finca Bellavista mentioned earlier, features intense fruity fermentation flavors, while Alma Negra leans toward the character of natural dried fruit molasses. Both represent today's most fashionable natural processing methods, yet they offer two different styles!

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the Alma Negra's dried-fruit sweetness sounds like your kind of cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Mozart from Costa Rica is a natural companion pour. Like the Alma Negra, it is built around raisin-like sweetness from advanced processing - the dried-fruit character in the cup is unmistakable - and its floral, fruit-forward profile is exactly the style that shines in a Hario V60 pour-over, whose 60-degree cone and single large opening pull out layered aromatics and lively fruit acidity. Brew it hot to follow the sweetness from first sip to finish, or let it cool to watch the fruit notes settle into a tea-like sweetness. For drinkers who prefer a cleaner, fermentation-free Costa Rican cup to compare against, this pairing of natural and washed styles from the same country makes the effect of processing on flavor remarkably easy to taste.