Costa Rican Specialty Single-Origin Coffee Beans: Black Honey Processed Catuai from Tarrazú's Finca La Miel

This lot of Fara Mira Estate black honey processed coffee comes from Tarrazú, the renowned region of Costa Rica. Costa Rica came to specialty coffee relatively late, but it has grown quickly into a serious force in the specialty world. With its gentle fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel and the sweet, high-quality berry flavors that honey processing is known for, Costa Rican coffee has earned real recognition. Black honey processing leaves roughly 80% of the cherry's mucilage intact, and the most visible difference across the honey family is that yellow, red and black honeys become progressively sweeter. Paired with rich fruit notes, that processing style is deeply favored by coffee connoisseurs.

Tasting Profile

Flavor Notes: Preserved plum, honey, brown sugar, orange blossom, white chocolate

Mouthfeel: Excellent sweetness, gentle fruit acidity, round and full-bodied, with a persistent aftertaste

Product Information

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop

Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qian Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Shelf Life: 90 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk coffee beans

Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Costa Rica

Roast Degree: Medium roast

Coffee Details

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)

Region: Tarrazú

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing Method: Black honey process

Variety: Catuai

Estate: Fara Mira Estate

Flavor: Preserved plum, honey, brown sugar

Costa Rica won over coffee connoisseurs largely through its honey-processed beans, and that achievement rests on the country's excellent geography and climate as much as on its exclusive cultivation of Arabica. Costa Rica's premium beans are graded "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH), in descending order of quality - this is also how the country grades its crop. SHB is grown above 1,500 meters, and altitude has always stood in for quality: the higher the elevation, the better the coffee. The country's steep altitude variation also brings abundant rainfall, which benefits the trees enormously. Cool temperatures at altitude slow the trees' growth, letting the cherries take in more nutrients and building a richer flavor in the cup.

Costa Rica has three famous growing regions: Tarrazú, south of the capital San José, along with the Central Valley and Western Valley. Across these areas, many outstanding independent estates dedicate themselves to ever more refined washed and honey-processed beans. There is every reason to expect more honey-processed surprises from Costa Rica.

Honey Processing Methods

The honey processing methods you will usually come across are yellow honey, red honey and black honey.

Yellow Honey: Roughly 40% of the mucilage is removed. This is the version that needs the most direct heat, drying under maximum sunlight exposure, and it takes about 8 days to reach a stable moisture content.

Red Honey: Roughly 25% of the mucilage is removed. Compared with yellow honey, drying takes longer and direct sun exposure is reduced, sometimes with the help of shade structures, for about 12 days.

Black Honey: Almost no mucilage is removed. Drying takes the longest of all, lasting at least 2 weeks, using coverings to keep the sun from drying the fruit too fast and allowing a more complete conversion of sugars.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Honey processing began as an offshoot of the semi-washed method, in which the skin is removed before the beans are dried on raised beds. FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado was one of the classic Brazilian semi-washed coffees, with pronounced cream, peanut, nut and chocolate flavors. Brazil's success caught Costa Rica's attention: producers adapted the semi-washed approach into honey processing, differentiated by how much mucilage is left on the bean and how long it dries, which is how clear categories like black honey, red honey, yellow honey and white honey emerged.

FrontStreet Costa Rica Blackberry is a striking example of the genre. It is processed as a true black honey, with almost none of the mucilage removed, a longer dry of at least two weeks, coverings to keep harsh sun from speeding things up, and constant turning so the fruit does not ferment unevenly in patches. All of that extra care comes through in the cup. Roasted medium-light, the ground coffee releases a dense floral perfume, and brewed it delivers the distinctive flavors of grape, berries and ripe blackberry.

If you like your honey-processed coffee sweeter still, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy is a blend of Panama Geisha and Costa Rican coffee, with the Geisha contributing its classic orange-blossom honey character and the Costa Rican half processed by raisin honey with 100% of the mucilage retained and zero-water processing. The ripe cherries are floated in a tank so that underdeveloped or overripe fruit can be skimmed off, the good cherry is dried on raised beds for at least three days, and only then is the skin removed, with the mucilage left on for further drying, turned constantly for an even result. FrontStreet Strawberry Candy ends up with Geisha's floral-tea lift plus grape and dried blueberry, soft fruit acidity, an almond finish and plenty of sweetness.

Beyond standard honey processing, some estates have developed an innovative raisin honey method - a departure from the traditional yellow, red and black styles. The cherry is pre-dried on raised beds for at least three days before the skin and pulp are removed and the usual honey steps continue. Retaining 100% of the mucilage makes raisin honey processing even harder to control than black honey, demanding strict management of timing, and it brings a richer, juicy fruit sweetness to the cup. FrontStreet Costa Rica Mozart is the one to try: as pour-over, cold brew or in a moka pot, it shows the distinctive aromas of osmanthus, pineapple and raisin.