Costa Rica Natural Process Central Valley Region Hacienda El Tanque Villasarchi Single Origin Specialty Coffee Beans

Product Information

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Ingredients: House-roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Loose coffee beans
Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Costa Rica
Roast Degree: Medium roast

Coffee Details

Costa Rica Central Valley El Tanque Estate Villa Sarchi Natural

Origin Specifications

Country: Costa Rica

Grade: SHB

Region: Central Valley

Roast Degree: Medium roast

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Villa Sarchi

Estate: El Tanque Estate

Flavor Notes: Lemon, caramel, nuts

Coffee Quality and Processing

Costa Rica's premium coffee beans are graded "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), followed by Hard Bean (HB) and Semi-Hard Bean (SH) in descending order of quality. SHB beans are grown above 1,500 meters, and altitude has long served as a proxy for cup quality: the higher the elevation, the better the coffee. High ground also brings a sharp drop in temperature and abundant rainfall, both of which favour healthy coffee trees. Cool nights at altitude slow the trees' growth, giving the cherries more time to take up nutrients and develop a richer flavour.

Costa Rica's three best-known producing regions are Tarrazu, south of the capital San Jose, together with the Central Valley and the Western Valley. Natural processing is a very traditional method that consumes few resources, but because so many variables sit outside the processor's control, an outstanding result is extremely difficult to achieve. This estate has introduced several innovations to manage that risk, among them a Brix meter - standard equipment in the wine industry - to measure the sugar content of the fruit and set the harvest date and processing route accordingly. Only cherries with more than 20% sugar are reserved for natural processing. For reference, the Brix values of common fruits sit around 14 for apples, 12 for lemons and 18 for passion fruit, while this estate's coffee cherries can reach 21-22%. Besides its natural and honey lots, the estate also produces washed coffee. It grows Caturra, Catuai and Villa Sarchi, and has planted small amounts of Kenyan varieties such as SL28 and Obata.

Natural Processing Method

Natural processing is labour-intensive. Hand-picked, high-sugar cherries are first spread on African raised beds and sun-dried for about 10 days, then moved into plastic-covered greenhouses, where more direct heat keeps the drying going until the moisture content falls to 11.5%. This slow drying lets the green beans develop more of their own natural sweetness, but it also demands close attention and a carefully calculated turning schedule. The process is complete when the bright red cherries have turned black and release aromas of fruit cake, caramel and even sherry.

Tasting Profile

Flavor Notes: Lemon, caramel, nuts

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

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Drinkers who enjoy the ripe fruit character that natural processing can deliver should start with FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry. Only fully ripe red cherries are selected and spread on raised drying beds, clear of the ground so the fruit is protected from insects, dust and bacteria, and turned at regular intervals to prevent uneven drying. After a light-to-medium roast it shows elegant florals and bright acidity alongside pronounced tropical fruit, a full fermented sweetness and a syrupy body.

FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Huakui is another natural lot worth seeking out. Grown at very high altitude in fertile soil and picked at full ripeness, it carries a delicate fragrance that the Sidamo natural method amplifies. The beans are roasted light-to-medium to protect that character: expect a light fermented note, florals, citrus and mango, with honeyed sweetness, a cocoa-like bass note and a touch of spice, a thick body and a long finish.

For a softer, sweeter cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Farm is dried on raised beds with frequent turning before mechanical finishing. Brewed by pour-over, French press or drip bag it delivers fresh sugarcane sweetness, black tea and mellow fruit, with distinct nutty notes, a clean, faint bitterness and a smooth, bright mouthfeel.