[FrontStreet Coffee Bean Exploration Journal] Costa Rica Fire Phoenix Estate Sapphire Special

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Costa Rica Central Valley Cumbres Del Poas Zahiro

Fire Phoenix Estate Blue Sapphire

Region: Central Valley

Estate: Fire Phoenix Estate

Altitude: 1600m

Variety: Caturra, Catuai

Grade: SHB

Processing Method: Natural

Region Introduction

Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus, regulated by Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes. The country features many towering volcanoes reaching 2000 meters in altitude, with fertile volcanic ash, moderate temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall. These factors contribute to coffee being one of Costa Rica's main agricultural products. Coffee cherries can slowly grow in the fertile volcanic ash soil and high-altitude cool environment, developing coffee beans with complete and rich flavors. The coffee beans produced in Costa Rica's high-latitude regions are world-renowned for being rich, mellow in taste, yet highly acidic. Coffee beans here are carefully processed, which is why they achieve high quality.

Central Valley

The Central Valley region is also the earliest area in Costa Rica where coffee was cultivated, before the country's coffee industry expanded to other regions. With moderate annual rainfall of 118 inches and an average temperature of only 19°C, combined with high altitude, the beans are hard, aromatic, smooth, and highly acidic, with full bodies and rich flavors. This region is Costa Rica's earliest coffee cultivation area, with rich volcanic soil that sometimes imparts chocolate aromas.

Estate Introduction

Fire Phoenix Estate is located in the hilly terrain of Poás Volcano in Costa Rica's Central Valley. It was one of the earliest producers in Central and South America to process honey and natural coffees, and is an organically cultivated coffee estate. The estate owner believes that organic farming practices are better choices for environmental protection and family health, and despite facing many technical and organizational challenges, remains committed to this philosophy.

In 2009, the estate gained fame when participating in the Specialty Coffee Competition. During the harvest season, they use a Brix meter—commonly equipped in the wine industry—to measure the sugar content of the fruit, determining the optimal harvest timing and processing method based on Brix sugar content. Only cherries with sugar content exceeding 20% are processed as natural. For comparison, typical fruit Brix values are: apples 14, lemons 12, passion fruit 18, but Fire Phoenix's coffee cherries can reach 21-22%.

The estate places great emphasis on environmentally friendly processing concepts (such as collecting rainwater for coffee processing) and uses organic compost production from vermicomposting (worm composting), making the cultivation process completely free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The natural processing of Blue Sapphire (Zahiro) is quite labor-intensive. Hand-picked high-sugar cherries are first placed on African raised beds to dry in the sun for about 10 days, then moved to a greenhouse covered with plastic sheeting to create more direct heat and continue drying until moisture content reaches 11.5%. This slow drying process allows the raw beans to develop more natural sweetness from within, but requires more careful handling and constant turning. Eventually, the bright red cherries turn black, emitting aromas of fruit cake, brown sugar, and even sherry!

Varieties (Caturra, Catuai)

Caturra

Caturra is a Bourbon variety discovered in Brazil in 1937. It has better yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, with shorter plants that facilitate harvesting. It has strong adaptability and doesn't require shade trees—thriving even under direct sun exposure, hence commonly called "Sun Coffee." Caturra is suitable for cultivation from low altitudes of 700 meters to high altitudes of 1700 meters, showing strong altitude adaptability. However, the higher the altitude, the better the flavor, though yields decrease accordingly—this is the destiny of specialty beans.

Cataui

Catai is also an Arabica hybrid variety, a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra, with better resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain. It inherits Caturra's advantage of short plant height, addressing Mundo Novo's shortcomings. Another advantage is its solid fruit set—less likely to fall off in strong winds, compensating for Arabica's weakness against wind.

The raw beans appear somewhat uneven in length and size. Besides the expected grassy aroma of raw beans, they also emit subtle floral tea and rich fruit fragrances.

Processing Method (Natural)

This bean uses natural processing, the oldest and most original coffee bean processing method. Harvested coffee cherries are placed on patios—sometimes even dried directly on roadsides—receiving direct sunlight (about 27-30 days) to reduce moisture from 60% to about 12%. Beans processed naturally have the lowest acidity, pronounced sweetness, high body but slightly lower cleanliness.

Curve Analysis

This Costa Rica Fire Phoenix Blue Sapphire possesses rich berry and tropical fruit aromas. To preserve the bean's abundant fruit flavors and sweetness, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster used a medium-roast approach for this bean.

Yangjia 800N Roaster (300g batch size)

Preheat to 170°C, charge beans, open air damper to 3, heat at 110, return to temperature at 1'36", 97.9°C; when drum temperature reaches 140°C, open air damper to 4. At this point, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When drum temperature reaches 166°C, adjust heat to 80, keeping air damper unchanged.

At 8'17", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma, definable as first crack prelude. At this moment, listen carefully for first crack sounds. At 9'00", first crack begins, adjust air damper to 5 (adjust heat very carefully, not too low to stop cracking sounds). After first crack, develop for 2'05", discharge at 195°C.

Agtron bean color value 69.3 (upper image), Agtron ground color value 75.4 (lower image), Roast Delta value 6.1.

Cupping Profile

Flavor: Berries, tropical fruits, fermented wine notes, brown sugar

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:16

Grind Size: Medium-fine (BG 6k: China standard #20 sieve pass rate 58%)

Brewing Technique: Poured in stages

Use 34g water for 30-second bloom, then pour in small circular motions to 127g for stage separation. When water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 240g then stop. When water level drops to just expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. Extraction time is 2'05" (timing from bloom start).

Flavor Description

Dry aroma shows prominent tropical fruit, fermented notes, and sweet spices. Wet aroma reveals berries and honey fragrances. Upon tasting, experience strawberries, tropical fruits, fermented wine notes, with honey and cocoa in the finish. Overall mouthfeel is smooth with distinct flavor layers and pronounced aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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