Costa Rica Tarrazú Finca La Ortiga Anaerobic Natural Introduction

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In everyone's impression, do you feel that Costa Rican coffee is all honey-processed, with balanced sweet and sour notes, sweet and smooth? Do you think that Costa Rican coffee has no other processing methods besides honey processing? FrontStreet Coffee tells you, yes, you're wrong. Although Costa Rican honey processing is very famous, there are also other processing methods, such as this anaerobic processing.

Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus, simultaneously regulated by Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes affecting its climate. Within its borders, many towering volcanoes reach altitudes of 2000 meters, possessing fertile volcanic ash, moderate and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—all factors contributing to coffee becoming one of Costa Rica's main agricultural products.

Coffee cherries slowly grow in the fertile volcanic ash soil and high-altitude cool environment, nurturing coffee beans with complete and rich flavors. The coffee beans produced in Costa Rica's high-latitude regions are world-renowned—intense, mild in taste, but extremely acidic. The coffee beans here are all carefully processed, which is why high-quality coffee is achieved.

The Costa Rican Tarrazú growing region is extremely prestigious in the specialty coffee world and is one of the world's major coffee-producing areas. Tarrazú is located in the fertile volcanic region of Central America, where there is a humid climate and fertile volcanic rock soil, abundant rainfall throughout the year, high altitude, and dense natural forest shade, providing a uniquely advantageous growing environment for coffee.

Nearly 95% of coffee beans produced in the high mountains of Tarrazú belong to Strictly Hard Bean (SHB), generally grown at altitudes above 1500 meters, and coffee is cultivated without pesticides or artificial fertilizers during the growing process.

Finca La Ortiga

Finca La Ortiga is situated at an extremely high altitude of 1750 meters in Tarrazú, with a cool climate and fertile volcanic soil. The coffee processing plant is equipped with solar energy facilities, with 60% of the processing plant's electricity generated through solar energy collection. The farm advocates for technology and continuously updated management methods, which is why it maintains the closest cooperation with coffee laboratories, and has specially created multi-layer anaerobic processing this year, pushing coffee flavors to more special realms. After coffee variety classification and harvesting, everything is handled through a series of calculations and planning, using solar energy equipment for the required electricity in post-processing, enabling post-processing to be controlled in an optimal, error-free state.

The farm owner places selected coffee beans into specially prepared barrels for fermentation, tightly sealing the steel cylinders and letting them sit for 18-23 hours. During fermentation, the coffee cherries are isolated from oxygen and pressurized by the carbon dioxide generated within the steel cylinders, allowing the fruits to ferment more completely and quietly.

During fermentation, the pH value must be strictly and precisely controlled, and the surrounding temperature must be well managed. Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is sent to sun-drying fields for sun-drying. Anaerobic processing followed by sun-drying gives the coffee full tropical fruit flavors and a rich texture, with a fruit wine-like note, making it refreshing and multi-layered when tasted.

Yellow Catuai. Yellow Catuai comes from a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra, first cultivated in 1949 by Brazil's "Instituto Agronomico de Campinas." Like Red Catuai (Catuai Rojo), Yellow Catuai has extremely high disease resistance, with delicate and clean acidity suitable for cultivation at high altitudes and windy areas.

Roasting Analysis

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

Preheat the roaster to 180°C, set damper to 3, heat to 120, return temperature at 1'36", 99.6°C; when the roaster temperature reaches 140°C, open the damper to 4; at this point, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. When the roaster temperature reaches 166°C, adjust the heat to 80°C, keeping the damper unchanged;

At 8'17", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly changes to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack, which starts at 9'15". Adjust the damper to 5 (adjust heat very carefully, not too small to eliminate crackling sounds). After first crack, develop for 2'10", discharge at 194.7°C.

Agtron bean color value 61.4 (top image), Agtron powder value 73.2 (bottom image), Roast Delta value 11.8.

Cupping

Flavors: Cinnamon, vanilla, honey, fruit wine.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Dripper: Hario V60

Water temperature: 90°C

Coffee dose: 15 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: Medium-fine grind (BG 6S: 58% pass rate through China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Technique: Segmented Extraction

Use 34g of water for bloom for 30 seconds. With small water flow, pour in circles to 127g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 226g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time is 2'05" (timing starts from bloom).

Flavor Description

Dry aroma has obvious sweet spices and fermentation notes; wet aroma emits cinnamon and fermented wine fragrance;

On entry, there are cinnamon, honey, and vanilla notes. With temperature, fruit wine flavors are obvious. Overall texture is smooth, with distinct flavor layers and sufficient sweetness.

Important Notice :

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