14. Costa Rica – San Rafael Tarrazú

The mountainous Tarrazú region is one of Costa Rica’s most celebrated coffee origins.

Our coffee comes from the San Marcos and San Pablo areas and is associated with producer Juan Manuel Sanchez Benavidez.

Coffee grows between approximately 1,200 and 2,000 metres above sea level, where cooler mountain temperatures slow cherry ripening. Tarrazú combines altitude with fertile soils, defined wet and dry seasons and a climate particularly well suited to Arabica.

The lot contains two classic Costa Rican varieties, Caturra and Catuai. Both are compact varieties that have become extremely important throughout Central American coffee production because they can combine strong productivity with good cup quality.

The coffee is fully washed. Ripe coffee cherries are depulped, fermented and washed before the parchment is dried. Removing the fruit before drying creates a clean cup and allows the characteristics created by variety, altitude and growing environment to remain particularly clear.

Costa Rica has played an important role in the development of modern speciality coffee processing. Small producers and independent micro mills have helped shift the industry towards smaller, more traceable lots and experimentation with processing.

Tarrazú remains one of the strongest examples of the classic Costa Rican style.