Day 22. Tarrazu - Costa Rica
Costa Rica – Tarrazú beans are sourced from the San Marcos and San Pablo regions, owned by Juan Manuel Sanchez Benavidez. Grown at altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 masl, these beans represent the Caturra and Catuai varietals and are processed using the washed method.
The resulting brew features a creamy body, balanced acidity, and delightful notes of chocolate and plum, creating a truly unique flavor profile. Experience the essence of Costa Rica in every cup with these remarkable coffee beans.
Situated in the heart of Central America, Costa Rica is as diverse as it is stunning. This small country offers everything from mountains and volcanoes to vibrant rainforests and beautiful coastlines ideal for beachgoers and surfers alike. With its impressive landscapes, stable government, and relative safety compared to its Central American neighbors, Costa Rica has become a popular tourist destination, attracting around 1.5 million visitors annually to its shores, forests, and mountains.
Thanks to the nation’s stability and progressive governance, Costa Rica enjoys a much higher standard of living than its neighbors, making it more expensive to visit or conduct business. The coffee industry is well-regulated by the national body, Icafe. Under Icafe’s vigilant oversight, farm workers are protected and monitored, ensuring minimum living standards and enforcing minimum wages for all employees. This regulation has led to two notable impacts on the quality and type of coffee produced in Costa Rica:
Quality has significantly improved, with production costs estimated at nearly $2/lb—about 25% higher than those of their Latin American counterparts. Unable to compete on price due to high land, living, and labor costs, producers have been compelled to enhance quality.
Costa Rica has emerged as a boutique origin, producing value-added coffees through innovative processing methods. No other origin we work with showcases such diversity and quality in processing as Costa Rica, particularly excelling in the clarity and complexity of their natural coffees, which few producers worldwide can match.
While the total production volume in Costa Rica is declining as ‘volume growers’ struggle against competitors from neighboring countries on price, the future of coffee production in the country appears to lie in specialty microlots that benefit from creative and intriguing processing methods. Leading the charge in this area are the regions of Tarrazu, the Central Valley, the West Valley, and Tres Rios.
To the due south of San José, you will discover the majestic mountains of Tarrazú. Nestled between the Pacific Coast, the Central Valley, and the towering peaks of the country’s central mountain range, Tarrazú ranks among the world’s most renowned coffee-growing regions.
This spectacular area, affectionately known as the Area of the Saints, is celebrated for producing the finest Strictly Hard Bean coffees in Costa Rica, cultivated at altitudes between 1,200 and 2,000 masl. The rich volcanic soil, high altitude, and ideal mix of sunlight, temperature, and precipitation create the essential elements for producing exceptional coffee.