Costa Rica Western Valley Black HoneyCoffee Beans
Origin
- Region: Costa Rica West Valley
- Variety: Catuai
- Process: Honey Process
- Roast: Cinnamon Roast
- Altitude: 1700m
- Sample Batch:
- Grower:
Flavor Notes:
Flavors of grape, blackcurrant acidity, almond, caramel, with a lingering aroma of black plum. Overall clean cup, medium body, with pronounced sweetness in the mid-palate.
- Aroma: Average
- Cleanliness: Average
- Sweetness:Average
- Acidity:Average
- Body:Average
- Bitterness:Average
- Aftertaste:Average
- After Cooling:Average
Costa Rica Western Valley Black HoneyCoffee Bean Intro:
Costa Rica Western Valley Black Honey
Region: Western Valley
Farm: Finca Danilo Salazar
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Elevation: 1700m
Processing Method: Black Honey
The eight coffee-producing regions in Costa Rica are: Western Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba, and Guanacaste.
The Western Valley region sits at an elevation of 1,000-1,200 meters, with a harvest season from November to March—considered one of the longer harvesting periods. Influenced by frequent Pacific airflows, the area boasts rich volcanic soil, ample sunlight, high average annual humidity of 81%, abundant rainfall, and an average annual temperature of 21.5°C. The temperatures here are often cooler compared to other mountainous regions at higher altitudes, resulting in exceptionally high-quality coffee cherries and seeds, leading to vigorous crop growth.
The honey process method originated in Costa Rica, Central America. Initially developed due to water scarcity in some high-altitude areas of Central America, the method involves drying the coffee fruit with its mucilage still intact after removing the skin using a pulper. It’s a processing method that falls between washed and natural. The coffee retains the cleanliness of the washed process while gaining significantly enhanced sweetness and caramel notes due to the mucilage being dried along with the beans. This method also reduces acidity and results in more delicate aromas. Depending on the thickness of the mucilage removed, the duration of sun-drying (or the thickness of the drying layer), and the frequency of turning during drying, honey processing is further categorized into black honey, red honey, orange honey, yellow honey, and white honey. Based on the thickness of mucilage removal: Black Honey: Almost no mucilage is removed, making it the longest drying process, requiring over 14 days. To prevent overly fast drying, shading is used to moderate intense sunlight, allowing for more thorough sugar conversion. Red Honey: Around 25% of the mucilage is removed (specific practices vary by farm), with drying lasting around 12 days. Shading may also be used during the process. Yellow Honey: About 40% of the mucilage is removed, exposing the beans to the most sunlight during drying, which takes about 8 days. Varieties: Caturra, Catuai Caturra is a mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. It offers better yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, with a shorter tree height that makes harvesting easier. It adapts well and doesn’t require shade trees, suitable for cultivation from low altitudes of 700 meters up to high altitudes of 1700 meters. Though highly adaptable across elevations, higher altitudes tend to produce better flavor profiles at the cost of reduced yield. Roast Curve
Turning point to yellow: 5'50", first crack begins at 9'25" at 184.3°C, first crack development lasts 2'05", dropping at 197°C.
Agtron bean color value is 66.1 (top image), Agtron parchment color value is 71.8 (bottom image), Roast Delta value is 5.7.
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Region Intro:
West Valley is one of the seven major producing regions of Costa Rica, known in Spanish as Valle Occidental. The harvest period in the West Valley runs from November to mid-March of the following year, making it a region with a relatively long harvest period, and its coffee flavor carries fruity notes along with nutty almond flavors. West Valley beans are not as bright in acidity as those from the Tarrazu region, and their flavor is more subdued, but the flavor when the coffee cools slightly is truly surprising, because the flavor changes continue to shift; in terms of the pursuit of mouthfeel, it is not stunning, but rather very much the "easy to appreciate, easy to drink" type.
Abundant volcanic soil, ample sunlight, plus an average annual relative humidity of as high as 81%, plentiful rainfall and an average annual temperature of 21.5°C, make the crops in this region grow luxuriantly, and are also favorable for growing high-altitude, high-quality coffee. In addition, the West Valley region has a distinct dry and wet season,
Brewing Tips:
Brewing Parameters: 15g coffee, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 90°C water temperature, multiple pours, total brew time 2 minutes.
First pour: 30g bloom for 40 seconds (timing starts when blooming begins); second pour: small stream to 124g; third pour: slightly larger stream to 225g, total time 1’52".
Flavor Cup Report:
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