Costa Rica Musician Series Chopin Coffee Beans How to Brew Chopin Coffee Beans for Sweet Flavor

If we were to discuss the relationship between music and coffee, we could perhaps say they both represent leisurely pleasures in life! But could you imagine someone naming coffee beans after famous musicians? Not just one, but four world-renowned musicians. This is the Musician Series coffee from Costa Rica - aren't you curious to learn more!

Region Introduction

Located in the Central American Isthmus, Costa Rica is simultaneously influenced by Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes that regulate its climate. The country features numerous towering volcanoes reaching altitudes of 2000 meters. Coffee cherries grow slowly in the fertile volcanic ash soil and high-altitude cool environment, developing coffee beans with complete and rich flavors.

Costa Rica has two distinct seasons: the dry season runs from December to April each year, coinciding with the coffee harvest, while the wet (rainy) season occurs from May to November. In recent years, many micro-processing mills have been established. Since they require only 5% of the water consumption of traditional washed processing mills and don't need large water tanks and drying fields, the required investment is relatively much smaller. "Honey-processed coffee" with low acidity, increased complexity, and rich sweet aroma has thus become a competitive target in the coffee industry in recent years.

Coffee has been cultivated in Costa Rica for as early as two hundred years, initially planted on the slopes of Poas and Barva volcanoes, which is what we now call the Central Valley. Currently, Costa Rica has eight main growing regions: West Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba, and Guanacaste.

Tarrazu is one of the main coffee-producing regions here. The Tarrazu region has a certain history of coffee production and has received favor and recognition from the British royal family, even earning praise in the Pope's speeches.

Canet Estate

Costa Rica Chopin also comes from Canet Estate. Canet Estate primarily grows passion fruit, with only a small portion dedicated to coffee cultivation, so this coffee receives special care. Costa Rica Chopin has a rose-like sweet aroma, along with the sweet and sour balance of raisins and white wine, and even carries hints of Anxi Tieguanyin flavor!

Raisin Honey Processing Method

The raisin honey processing method is considered a double-fermentation honey processing approach. On the day of harvesting coffee cherries, the harvested coffee fruits are poured into large water tanks. Mature, full fruits will sink to the bottom, while underdeveloped or overripe fruits will float to the surface. These floating beans must be removed. The selected coffee fruits are placed on raised beds to dry to a raisin-like state, then the pulp and skin are removed, preserving the mucilage before further drying.

In terms of flavor, the fermentation aroma is more intense, with richer and fuller flavor layers. Moreover, the preservation of mucilage is higher than in other honey processes. During drying, these coffee cherries must be constantly turned to ensure even drying, but the turning frequency must be controlled to achieve slow drying to ensure the coffee has fermentation treatment, but not so slow as to cause over-fermentation.

Variety (Yellow Catuai)

Yellow Catuai (Catuai Amarillo) comes from a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra, first cultivated by Brazil's Instituto Agronomico de Campinas in 1949. Like Red Catuai (Catuai Rojo), Yellow Catuai has extremely high disease resistance and is suitable for cultivation at high altitudes and windy areas. Both Catuai varieties have very delicate and clean acidity. When observing the green beans, they appear greenish-blue and smell of rich tea fragrance with a light fermented aroma.

The Costa Rica Canet Musician Series includes Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach coffees. This year, the Costa Rica Musician Series added another coffee bean named Chopin. Unlike the other flavors, this Chopin bean has distinct rose floral notes with more prominent sweetness.

Roasting Analysis

Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster (300g batch size)

Preheat the roaster to 180°C, set heat to 130, damper to 3. Return temperature at 1'36", maintain heat; at 140°C keep heat unchanged, open damper to 4. At 5'20" the beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 166°C, reduce heat to 110, keep damper at 4. At 176°C, adjust heat to 80, damper unchanged.

At 8'15" dehydration is complete, wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma transforms to coffee aroma, signaling the prelude to first crack. At this point, pay attention to listen for the first crack sound. At 9'21" first crack begins, open damper fully to 5, keep heat unchanged. Post-first crack development time is 2'05", discharge at 195.2°C.

Agtron bean color value is 70.3 (above image), Agtron ground color value is 78.3 (below image), Roast Delta value is 8.

Cupping

Flavor: Rose, raisin, berry, fruit tea

Brewing Recommendations

Regarding this bean, FrontStreet Coffee suggests the pour-over brewing method.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica · Canet Estate Chopin

Region: Tarrazu

Variety: Yellow Catuai

Altitude: 1700m

Processing: Raisin Honey Process

Pour-over Parameters

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90-92°C

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Fine grind (80% pass-through rate on Chinese standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method: Segmented Extraction

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. With small water flow, pour in circles to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 228g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time from the start of bloom is 1'56".

Flavor: When brewing this Chopin with 92°C water, the citrus acidity and tea sensation are more prominent, with berry notes. As the temperature cools slightly, there's an intense fermentation aroma, and the sweetness lingering on the palate is quite persistent. When brewing with 90°C water, the rose aroma is more突出的, with raisin and tea sensations upon entry. As the temperature cools slightly, there's fermentation aroma, with a relatively smooth mouthfeel and more obvious sweetness.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473