Costa Rica Tarrazu Tesoros Volcanicos
Captain's Gold top 3! Volcanic soil is ideal for growing coffee, so this coffee's producers decided to call this lot "Tesoros Volcanicos" or "Volcanic Treasures". It's a crowd pleaser in the classic Tarrazu tradition with a wide and forgiving roasting range making it a fan favorite. Full bodied, creamy and balanced with notes of milk chocolate, almond, honey, ruby red grapefruit and a hint of baking spices and subtle florals.
Tarrazu is probably the most recognized region in Costa Rica when it comes to growing amazing coffee, and for good reason! It’s well known for producing coffees with that rare combo of great body and vibrant acidity. Also probably because it’s fun to say: Tare Ahht Zuu. Make sure to roll that R to really impress your friends! They’ll like the taste too, trust me. Everybody does, that’s why we call coffees like this “Crowd Pleasers”. No wild flavors, that classic chocolate base, plenty of body, and it’s super easy roasting.
This particular Tarrazu comes to us from smallholder producers in the San Marcos district of Tarrazu and it provides an excellent representation of the local flavor. It’s called Tesoros Volcanicos which means “Volcanic Treasures”. If you didn’t know, volcanic soil is perfect for growing coffee and Costa Rica has a handful of both active and dormant Volcanoes. I guess even the furious and destructive side of nature has a silver lining and in this case, it’s terroir tailor made for growing tasty coffee!
In our cups, we got a nice, full body and creamy texture with a ruby red grapefruit and mild lemon acidity on the front end. The flavors in the cup are gently sweet and very balanced resulting in a very clean cup. Our flavor calls were heavily centered on milk chocolate and honey, though we also got some nutty notes like almond and just a dash of spice – Cinnamon? Nutmeg? We couldn’t reach a consensus on that, but we all agreed it’s a superb cup with lots of range that can fill just about any role you could want. Single origin? Crowd pleaser. Blend? Works great with others. Espresso? Oh you betcha. This has cappuccino written all over it and would make a super smooth shot. Best of all, it’s super forgiving in the roaster accepting a wide range of roast levels no matter your taste preference!
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: October 9th, 2024 Harvest Year 2024, Packed in GrainPro
Acidity & Brightness: Pleasantly crisp with gentle sweetness
Balance & Finish: Very balanced with a smooth, clean finish
Body & Texture: Full bodied with a creamy texture
Flavors: Milk chocolate, honey, almond, grapefruit & baking spices
Grade: SHB EP, 14/16 screen, grown at 1,200 – 1,800 masl (SHG)
Processing: Fully washed
Grower: Smallholder farmers in the San Marcos District
Region: San Marcos, Tarrazu, Costa Rica
Varieties: Caturra and Catuai
Recommended Roast Range: City to Full City+ (Light to medium-dark)
We prefer this coffee like most Costa Rican coffees in the light-medium to medium-dark range and found the most balanced cup at light-medium (as first crack begins to trail off). Lighter roasts early in first crack will maximize brightness and make the cup more lively, focusing notes of grapefruit and lemon. This will also bring out some lovely florality. You can take it up to Full City + (medium-dark, the very first snap of 2nd crack) if you prefer a cup with milder acidity and want to bring out more chocolate tones. You can expect the sugars to be caramelized and complex, more like brown sugar at medium and darker roast levels.
Copan Trade - "This coffee is harvested by numerous smallholder farmers in the San Marcos region of Tarrazu. The coffee beans grown here are washed and patio sun dried to bring out their natural grapefruit, milk chocolate, and hazelnuts notes. Tarrazu is where Costa Rican coffee was born, known as “La Cuna del Café Costarricense”. This region is known for its distinctive coffee bean quality. The rich soil composition, micro-climate, and high altitudes are ideal for the Catuai and Caturra coffee plants.
