Costa Rica

Costa Rica was always ahead of the curve when it came to coffee quality. They were ahead in the 90s and 00s by marketing regions (like Tarrazu) and estates (La Minita). And they were ahead when a shift occurred starting around 2005-8 when farmers started setting up micro-mills on their own lands, processing their own coffee rather than selling to big farms and multinationals, and producing distinct lots of specific coffee varieties and unique processing experiments.

Today we find a great variety of coffee available from Costa Rica, traceable to the farmer level, and produced using (for the most part) eco-pulpers and other technological innovations to allow small-scale controlled results. The choices are seemingly endless. What we miss are the traditionally fermented coffees of older varieties like Typica and Bourbon. However many farmers have planted cultivars that do have a good cup, like Caturra and Villa Sarchi, while taking out the poor tasting hybrids like CR95, etc.

Traditional Costa Rica coffee is bright and lively, with a snappy acidity upfront that gives way to a sweet finish. Generally, the coffees are light-bodied, but some popular processes like pulp natural (aka “miel” or honey coffee) give a more viscous mouthfeel. While Costa Rica leads the way in experimentation with process and variety, some of these can be “interesting” but (for me) not a coffee I really want to drink daily. There are more photos, videos, and extended Costa Rica coffee descriptions in the SM Coffee Library!