Introduction to Costa Rican Specialty Coffee: An In-depth Analysis of the Musician Series Chopin

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FrontStreet Coffee - Costa Rica Canet Estate Musician Series Chopin Introduction

Located in the Central American isthmus, Costa Rica is simultaneously influenced by the climate regulation effects of Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes. The country contains numerous towering volcanoes reaching altitudes of 2,000 meters. Coffee grown here can mature slowly in the fertile volcanic soil and high-altitude cool environment, accumulating more aromatic substances and developing coffee beans with complete and rich flavors.

Costa Rica's harvest season can be divided into two periods annually. The dry season occurs from December to April, which coincides with coffee harvesting time, while the rainy season spans from May to November. In recent years, with the establishment of numerous micro-mills in Costa Rica, water consumption has been improved to only 5% of that required by traditional washed processing mills. Additionally, these micro-mills don't require large water tanks and drying fields, significantly reducing necessary investment. Costa Rican coffee, known for its low acidity, increased complexity, and rich sweet aroma in "honey processed coffee," has become a sought-after target in the coffee industry in recent years.

The history of coffee cultivation in Costa Rica can be traced back more than 200 years, with the earliest plantings on the slopes of Poas and Barva volcanoes, what we now call the Central Valley. Currently, Costa Rica has eight main producing regions: Western Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba, and Guanacaste.

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

Canet Estate

Canet Estate is located in the highest altitude area of the Tarrazu region, which is the most intensive area for fruit cultivation in Costa Rica. Canet Estate primarily cultivates passion fruit, with coffee being only minimally planted. Therefore, the quantity is quite rare, with coffee grown only in a specific area and receiving special care.

All coffee cherries are hand-picked, harvesting only mature red cherries. After harvesting and before processing, they undergo another screening procedure to remove underripe or overripe coffee cherries to ensure quality.

Raisin Honey Processing Method

The raisin honey processing method is actually a type of double-fermentation honey processing. On the day of coffee cherry harvest, the harvested coffee fruits are poured into large water tanks. Mature and 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 into a raisin-like state, then the pulp and skin are removed while preserving the mucilage before further drying. In terms of flavor, the fermentation notes are more intense, with richer and fuller flavor layers. Additionally, the preservation of mucilage is higher than in other honey processing methods. During the drying process, these coffee cherries must be constantly turned to ensure even drying, but the turning frequency must be carefully controlled to allow for slow drying to ensure proper fermentation treatment without being too slow to avoid over-fermentation.

Variety

Yellow Catuai (Catuai Amarillo) comes from a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra, first cultivated in 1949 by Brazil's "Instituto Agronomico de Campinas." Like Red Catuai (Catuai Rojo), Yellow Catuai has 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 raw beans, they appear greenish-blue and have a rich tea aroma with a hint of fermentation.

Costa Rica Canet Musician Series includes Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach coffees. This year, the Costa Rican Musician Series has added a new coffee bean named Chopin. Unlike the other flavors, this Chopin variety has prominent rose floral notes and a more pronounced sweetness.

Costa Rica Canet Estate Chopin

Region: Tarrazu

Variety: Yellow Catuai

Altitude: 1700m

Processing: Raisin Honey Process

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