Coffee From Costa Rica: What It Tastes Like and Why It’s Unique

Coffee can derive its predominant flavors from two key sources: the growing conditions of the coffee cherries themselves, determined by the origin of the beans, or from the roasting process after harvest. Coffee from Costa Rica demonstrates a tremendous range in flavor profiles from the fruit-forward acidity of a light roast to the rich, deep chocolate notes of a dark roast.

However, Costa Rican coffee is renowned for its inherent earthy, herbaceous, and gently spicy flavors, with a bright, well-balanced acidity. In this guide, we’ll explore the terroir of Costa Rica that gives its coffees such distinctive character. We’ll also highlight some of the most popular Costa Rican coffee varietals that have made them some of the most famous amongst coffee lovers worldwide.

Coffee From Costa Rica: A Brief History

Coffee cultivation came to Costa Rica in the early 1800s through Jamaican immigrants who brought Typica variety coffee plants with them. Costa Rica quickly realized that its tropical highland climate and rich volcanic soil provided ideal growing conditions for high quality Arabica coffee.

Throughout the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, its coffee exports steadily grew, supplying European and North American markets. Today, Costa Rica produces about 1.365 million 60kg bags of green coffee beans annually, accounting for around 1% of total global coffee production. That’s just over 180 MILLION pounds of coffee. And yes, that puts the total coffee produced and exported worldwide at 18 BILLION pounds. That’s BILLION with a B.

While the country only produces around 1% of the coffee worldwide, the quality and flavor distinction of Costa Rican coffee beans means it accounts for a larger percentage of premium coffee market share. Costa Rican coffee is classified as “Strictly High Grown” (SHG), meaning all beans are grown at elevations exceeding 1,200m.

The ideal elevation for growing coffee is between 1,200 and 1,700 meters, which means Costa Rica coffee is considered premium. These high elevations contribute to Costa Rican coffees’ bright, complex acidity and depth of flavor.

What Are Some Popular Coffee Varieties From Costa Rica?

Costa Rican coffee is treasured for its sweet, fruit-forward flavors coupled with moderate acidity and rich aroma. Specific tasting notes may include hints of chocolate, nuts, spices, and dried fruit, somewhat similar to what you’d expect from a Hawaiian coffee. Popular varieties include the following:

• Typica: Considered the “mother of all coffee”, Typica is thought to offer the purest expression of origin character. Costa Rican Typica has refined acidity with nuanced fruitiness. Light roasts accentuate its complexity while darker roasts bring out more body and caramelized sweetness.
• Caturra: A naturally occurring mutation of Bourbon, Caturra is prized for high yields and concentrated flavor. It has a silky mouthfeel with vibrant citrus acidity. Medium roast Caturra often tastes of orange, lemon, and milk chocolate.
• Catuai: A hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra, Catuai produces heavy yields while retaining excellent cup quality. It has a smooth, balanced profile with low acidity and sweet nuttiness. Light roasts accentuate its floral aromatics while darker roasts bring out more roast character.
• Villa Sarchi: Named after a coffee growing region, Villa Sarchi is a Bourbon mutation selected for productivity and disease resistance. Its beans produce a winey, softly acidic brew with hints of vanilla and nuts. It is well-suited to medium roasts that balance origin flavors with roast character.
• Pacas: This is an indigenous Costa Rican varietal prized for its hardiness and resistance to coffee leaf rust disease. Pacas has superb sweetness reminiscent of molasses and brown sugar, with low acidity. It works well in darker roasts that caramelize its inherent sugars.

Where Does Coffee Grow in Costa Rica?

Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica is restricted by the demanding growing requirements of Coffea arabica, which accounts for nearly all production. Arabica thrives in the misty highlands between 1,200 and 1,700 meters in rich volcanic soil. The nutrient dense soil, along with consistent moisture and ample sunshine, provide ideal conditions for bean development.

Costa Rica’s mountainous topography includes multiple volcanic ranges running northwest to southeast that fall within this optimal elevation band. The key coffee growing regions include the Central Valley, Tarrazú, West Valley, and Turrialba. Most of the coffee from Costa Rica comes from eight regions in the mountains:

• Brunca
• Guanacaste
• Orosi
• Tarrazú
• Tres Rios
• Turrialba
• Valle Central
• Valle Occidental

As far as specific origin goes, coffee from the Tarrazú region, in particular, is among the most sought-after. This region has the highest elevation of any coffee-growing region in the country.

Within all of these zones are microclimates and terroir that impart nuanced characteristics to the beans. Costa Rica’s unique geography means coffee trees absorb minerals from the soil that translate into distinct flavors in the cup.

What Gives Costa Rican Coffee its Unique Flavor Profile?

Several key factors of Costa Rica’s climate and geography contribute to the unique cup profiles of its coffees:

• High Elevations: The high elevations between 1,200 and 1,700 meters provide relatively cool year-round temperatures that slow bean maturation and allow complex flavors to develop. The misty climate also limits sun exposure, enhancing acidity and fruit notes.
• Volcanic Soil: Costa Rica’s historical volcanic activity has produced nutrient rich soil high in minerals like phosphorus, iron, and magnesium. This amplifies nuanced flavors as the coffee trees readily absorb these minerals through their roots into the cherries.
• Processing Method: The “honey” method of semi-drying cherries before milling helps preserve delicate fruit notes and bright acidity that would otherwise be diminished by fully washing beans. This processing highlights inherent flavors.
• Microclimates: Specific microclimates have an outsized impact, with small geographic areas producing distinctive flavor profiles. For example, Tarrazú’s cool nights and frequent cloud cover boost its coffees’ citrus notes versus Valle de los Santos’ warmer daytime temps that bring out more herbal flavors.
• Shade Cover: Many farms judiciously use shade trees that affect variables like sunlight exposure, moisture retention, and soil nutrition. This fine tunes flavors by providing a partial protective canopy for the coffee plants.

The confluence of these factors creates an environment where coffee flavor potentials can be fully realized. Everything from mineral composition to moisture levels help accentuate the nuances of origin in the beans.

Is Costa Rican Coffee Better Than Other Origins?

While personal taste preferences are subjective, the rare intersection of ideal growing conditions and dedication to quality in Costa Rica produce some of the world’s most sought after coffees.

The Volcanic soil, ample rainfall, and persistent cloud cover allow the fruit flavors to develop richly on the trees over a long maturation period. This creates an intensity of “origin character” that is difficult to match in less optimal coffee growing environments.

That said, other origins have their merits. For example, the coffees of Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee, offer a wild, untamed fruitiness. Sumatran coffees showcase earthiness and low acidity. Colombian coffees are balanced and have an earthy overtone. Coffee from Africa tends to have a strong tart flavor, crisp acidity, and light, fruity notes.

Still, none quite compare with Costa Rica’s combination of flavor complexity, layered acidity, and enticing aromatics that coffee aficionados crave. With dedicated growers constantly refining their cultivation techniques on ideal land, Costa Rica remains at the forefront of specialty coffee production. Though personal taste varies, Costa Rica’s unique terroir produces some of the world’s most interesting, sought-after, and flavorful coffees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is coffee from Costa Rica considered high quality?

Costa Rican coffee is considered amongst the highest quality in the world due to the excellent growing conditions of the country’s high elevation, volcanic soil, and microclimates ideal for coffee cultivation. The terroir allows the coffee to develop nuanced flavors and balanced acidity that create a very complex and interesting cup profile. The processing methods also help preserve the inherent fruit notes and bright acidity.

What type of coffee bean does Costa Rica mainly produce?

Costa Rica focuses on growing Coffea Arabica beans at high elevations between 1,200 and 1,700 meters. Arabica thrives in the cool, misty climate and volcanic soil of Costa Rica’s central highlands. Arabica also produces a more nuanced, higher quality cup of coffee versus the more robust but bitter Robusta bean. Costa Rica’s terroir is ideal for Arabica cultivation.

What are some key coffee growing regions in Costa Rica?

Some of the main coffee growing regions in Costa Rica include the Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Tarrazú, the last of which produces some of the most sought-after Costa Rica coffee. Each region has distinct microclimates, elevation ranges, soil types, and moisture levels that impart subtle differences in the coffee flavor profile. However, they share the high elevation, volcanic soil, and misty climate ideal for overall high quality coffee cultivation.

How does processing impact Costa Rican coffee’s flavor?

Costa Rica largely utilizes a “honey” processing method where cherries are partially dried before milling to help preserve the fruit notes and bright acidity. This processing combined with the terroir allows the origin flavors to shine. Fully washing the beans can strip away some of the inherent fruit and floral tones. The honey process highlights the complex flavors that develop on the coffee trees.