Costa Rica Tarrazú Cordillera de Fuego Jaguar Anaerobic & Honey

About the Coffee

FLAVOR: Berry, Cinnamon, Hibiscus, Rose Hips
BODY: Medium
ACIDITY: Bright
PROCESS: Anaerobic Honey
REGION: Tarrazú
ALTITUDE: 1200-1750
PRODUCER: Luis Campos, Cordillera de Fuego, San Diego Mill
VARIETY: Caturra, Catuai

About Honey and Anaerobic Processing

This lovingly curated Tarrazu green coffee blends San Diego Honey Process coffee and Anaerobic Process coffee from Cordillera de Fuego.

The Honey processing method started in Costa Rica but has since spread to other countries across the globe. In this process some or all of the mucilage of the coffee cherry – aka coffee honey – that coats the parchment is left on during the drying stage, giving the coffee a sweeter profile than washed coffees.

The Anaerobic process begins with selection of handpicked mature coffee cherries that have a Brix degree (a measurement of sugar content) near 26. Selecting the cherries when they are at their ripest ensures a high sugar content, which helps feed the anaerobic process.

At the mill, the coffee is depulped and put in air-tight, stainless-steel tanks with the mucilage left on. The absence of oxygen stimulates an anaerobic fermentation process. The process develops in a unique series of acids such as lactic and malic, which results in a very complex flavor.

Coffee From Tarrazú

Tarrazú is the most famous – and highest-producing – coffee region in Costa Rica. The canton was awarded Denomination of Origin status in 2019, and its distinctive cup profile, with fine acidity and full body, is why green coffee from Tarrazú is differentiated from the broader Los Santos area. Here, the focus is on quality over quantity, and the coffee in this lot grew on altitudes ranging from 1,450 to 1,750 masl. The red clay soil, humid climate, and tropical temperatures with an average of 24ºC help nurture some of the best coffee in Costa Rica.

Costa Rican Green Coffee Quality

A Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) green coffee must be grown at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level or higher. When coffee grows at high altitudes, the coffee cherries mature more slowly. This allows the fruit to take in more nutrients, resulting in denser, sweeter coffee beans that are considered higher quality. During dry milling, the lot was further hand-sorted to European Preparation (EP) specifications with a minimum screen size of 15 and above and a maximum of eight defects within 300 grams.

Costa Rica Green Coffee

Costa Rica coffees sell at a premium. The country has a reputation for delivering high quality and innovation – a winning combination. Costa Rica’s quality socio-economic infrastructure programs, such as universal healthcare, high education levels, sophisticated agronomy and research, and well-regulated agricultural sustainability programs, certainly contribute to the high cost of coffee. Additionally, when coffee roasters buy Costa Rican green coffee, producers receive nearly 80% of the FOB value, guaranteed.