Musician Series Coffee | Costa Rica Raisin Honey Process Chopin Coffee Flavor Characteristics

The Musician Series of Coffee

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The Musician Series was extremely popular in 2018. So far the series includes four coffees: Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Chopin. Today FrontStreet Coffee introduces the Chopin bean from this series.

Costa Rica's Coffee Origins

Costa Rica began growing coffee as early as two hundred years ago, first on the slopes of the Poas and Barva volcanoes - the area we now call the Central Valley. Today Costa Rica has eight main producing regions: West Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba and Guanacaste.

Tarrazu Region

Tarrazu is one of the country's main coffee areas. It has a long history of coffee production and has earned the recognition of the British royal family, even being praised in a papal speech.

La Canet Estate

La Canet Estate sits in the highest part of the Tarrazu region and is the most intensive fruit-growing area in Costa Rica. The estate mainly grows passion fruit, and coffee is quite scarce - only a specific parcel is planted with coffee, and it receives special care. All cherries are hand-picked, taking only mature red fruit. Even after harvest and before processing, the beans go through another screening step to sort out underripe and overripe fruit again.

Raisin Honey Processing Method

This method preserves 100% of the mucilage and uses zero water processing. It raises the difficulty of honey processing, which demands strict control of timing. On the day of harvest, the cherries are poured into large water tanks. Mature, full fruits sink to the bottom; underdeveloped or overripe fruits float and are removed. The selected cherries are then dried on raised beds for at least three days, after which the skin is removed with the mucilage kept intact before drying continues. At this stage, climate is the key to success.

Throughout drying, the cherries must be turned constantly to dry evenly, but the frequency of turning has to be controlled. Slow drying allows proper fermentation - just not so slow that it over-ferments.

Costa Rica Chopin

Variety: Caturra

Origin: Tarrazu

Estate: La Canet Estate

Altitude: 1,900 meters

Processing Method: Raisin Honey Process

Flavor Notes: Tieguanyin, Rose, Raisin

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Chopin's raisin honey sweetness appeals to you, the FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Blackberry is a natural companion. It uses a distinct black honey process that leaves almost all the mucilage on the bean, so drying lasts at least two weeks under covers, with regular turning to avoid uneven heat and over-fermentation. Roasted medium-light, it grinds into an intense floral fragrance and brews into grape, berry and ripe blackberry notes.

For a brighter, more fruit-driven honey coffee, try the FrontStreet Coffee Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend. It pairs a raisin honey Costa Rican coffee - 100% mucilage retained, zero water - with a Panamanian Geisha. The cherries are floated to remove underripe and overripe fruit, dried on raised beds for at least three days, then depulped with the mucilage intact and turned constantly for even drying. The cup carries Geisha's floral-tea character plus fresh grape and dried blueberry, gentle fruit acidity, an almond finish and clear sweetness.

And for an even more exotic take on the honey family, the FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Mozart uses a raisin honey method that pre-dries the whole cherries on raised beds for at least three days before depulping and continuing the honey steps. Retaining 100% of the pectin, it demands stricter timing than black honey and gives osmanthus, pineapple and raisin aromas - lovely as pour-over, cold brew or moka pot.