How to Define Single-Origin Coffee Beans: Costa Rica Raisin Honey Process Geisha Blend Brewing Guide

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Blend is a Single Origin Coffee!

When FrontStreet Coffee discusses the Frontsteet Panama Butterfly Geisha Blend coffee beans on its bean list, it mentions that the definition of single origin coffee refers to coffee varieties from a single producing region. However, the naming of single origin coffee varies - some use the producing region name, others use the variety name, some use the processing mill name, others use the estate name, and some have various fancy names, creating a dazzling array of options.

It's important to know that it's generally impossible for an entire region to grow only one variety, and processing mills also handle coffee collected from nearby coffee farmers. Therefore, green bean blending has already been completed during the green bean trade. Alternatively, the reason why Ethiopian beans vary in size is because Ethiopia has abundant coffee varieties, mostly grown and harvested in mixed cultivation. Beans from the same origin, the same estate/cooperative are still defined as single origin coffee.

Finca Mirazu Estate

Finca Mirazu is located in the Tarrazú producing region of Costa Rican specialty coffee. The Tarrazú region is situated in the fertile volcanic area of Central America, with a humid climate, fertile volcanic rock soil, abundant annual rainfall, high altitude, and dense natural forest shade - providing a uniquely advantageous growing environment for coffee. Although many coffee estates are established within the Tarrazú region, the micro-climates, soil, and varietal differences that exist in each estate will manifest quite completely. These wonders bestowed by nature are precisely what drive FrontStreet Coffee to continuously seek different coffee beans from the same producing region for comparison.

The estate owner Esteban Sanches graduated from the Coffee Department of the Costa Rica Agricultural University, making him professionally trained, and he himself is a person with a spirit of scientific experimentation. On one hand, the estate tries to plant varieties such as ET47 Ethiopian native varieties and attempts various processing methods. On the other hand, the small-scale wet processing machines at the estate processing plant, from design to assembly, are all handmade by Esteban Sanches himself.

Coffee Bean Varieties

Geisha, ET47, SL28, Maico

Geisha needs no further introduction, as I believe everyone is familiar with this variety. The Geisha variety was originally collected from the coffee forests of Ethiopia in the 1930s. In 1953, it was brought to the Tropical Agricultural Research Center (CATIE) in Central America, where it was recorded as T2722. However, the plant's branches are brittle and not favored by farmers, so it was not widely cultivated.

In the 1990s, the Costa Rica Coffee Research Institute gave many varieties introduced as research trees for leaf rust resistance prevention to farmers in the Tarrazú region for cultivation. ET47 was number 47 in the laboratory, because many varieties were introduced during the same period, mostly using numbers to distinguish and identify them. Estate owner Esteban Sanchez obtained ET47 and began dedicating himself to researching this coffee variety. This variety can be said to be a complex综合体, carrying many excellent flavor characteristics, such as the sweetness of fruit, a rounded and clean mouthfeel, and elegant pleasant acidity. As for which varieties make up the "ancestors" of ET47, the Costa Rica Coffee Research Institute has not disclosed this information.

According to historical records, the senior coffee officer of the Scott Laboratory (A.D. Trench) noticed a variety growing in the Modi region of Tanzania that seemed to have tolerance to drought, diseases, and pests. The seeds were collected and brought back to the Scott Laboratory, where its drought resistance was confirmed. Recent genetic testing has also confirmed that the SL28 variety belongs to the Bourbon genetic group, so SL28 coffee beans also appear similar to Bourbon varieties in their round and thick appearance.

Maico currently has no official published information about this variety. The FrontStreet Coffee's Frontsteet Mirazu Geisha Blend coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee obtained are composed of 50% Geisha coffee beans and 50% a mixture of ET47, SL28, and MAICO. The Geisha variety coffee beans provide jasmine floral aroma for this Frontsteet Mirazu coffee, while other varieties contribute richer strawberry berry flavors to this Frontsteet Mirazu coffee. Through the raisin honey processing method, the sweetness of this coffee is enhanced.

Coffee Bean Processing Method

Raisin Honey

The raisin honey processing method retains 100% mucilage and uses zero water processing, which increases the difficulty of the honey processing method, requiring strict control of time. The estate owner first selects the harvested coffee fruits, places the selected coffee fruits on raised beds to dry for at least three days, and then removes the fruit skin. Interestingly, the pulping machine researched by the estate owner himself is different from others - it can process two different beans at once. Because the estate owner's time and energy are focused on researching machines and coffee, nearby farmers call him Dr. Machine and the natural coffee expert.

After removing the fruit skin while retaining the mucilage, drying is then performed. At this stage, climate factors are key to the success of honey processing. During the drying process, these coffee beans must be constantly turned to ensure even drying, but the turning frequency must be controlled to dry slowly to ensure the coffee has fermentation treatment, but not so slow as to cause over-fermentation. FrontStreet Coffee found through cupping that the raisin honey processing has retained 100% mucilage for sun-drying, and the coffee's flavor sweetness is also very high, and it will also have a fermented sweetness of preserved fruits.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Suggestions

Yangjia 800N, bean input: 480g. Preheat the roaster to 200°C, cool down to 175°C before charging, adjust flame to 120, damper open to 3, temperature return point at 1'32", maintain flame; at 114°C, flame unchanged, damper open to 4.

At 6'15" turn yellow, grassy smell disappears, enter dehydration stage, at 140°C, flame reduced to 100, damper maintained at 4. At 9'00" dehydration complete, bean surface shows wrinkles and black patterns, toast smell turns to coffee aroma, prelude to first crack, at this time pay attention to listening for the sound of first crack. At 10'25" first crack begins, damper fully open to 5, flame unchanged. Development time after first crack 1'30", discharge at 193.5°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee conducts cupping within 8-24 hours after coffee beans are roasted, using 200ml ceramic cupping bowls, standard anti-static metal cupping spoons, with cupping water temperature at 94°C. Cupping coffee powder grind is controlled to pass through a No. 20 standard sieve (0.85mm) at a rate of 70%-75%. The ratio is 1:18.18 (11.1g coffee powder plus 200ml hot water), so the extracted concentration falls within the golden cup range of 1.15%-1.35%. First grind to smell the dry aroma, then add water to fill the bowl. Confirm the wet aroma, after 4 minutes break the crust and remove grounds, then conduct flavor evaluation.

Dry aroma: Floral
Wet aroma: Dried fruit, berries
Flavor: Raisins, berries, nuts, cream

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Experience

Filter: Hario V60 01
Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Temperature: 90°C
Grind: Medium-fine (Chinese standard No. 20 sieve pass rate 80%)

FrontStreet Coffee brewing method: First wet the filter paper and preheat the filter cup and coffee pot. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, small circular water flow to 125g for segmentation, when water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring water to 225g and stop pouring, wait for water level to drop and is about to expose the coffee bed then remove the filter cup, (timing starts from bloom) extraction time is 2'01".

Brewing flavor: Jasmine floral aroma, sweet raisin flavor upon entry, strawberry candy sweetness, nutty cream-like mouthfeel.

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Important Notice :

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