Regions and Coffees of Note for Single Origin Coffees in Central America: Costa Rica
Costa Rica is much like Panama when it comes to coffee: high quality and lots of it. Much of the climate is the same, and so is Costa Rica’s reliance on higher altitudes to suit the Arabica coffee plants grown there.
Tres Rios: This region is known for a multitude of coffees such as La Lapa, and is considered among the best places Costa Rica cultivates its coffee. It’s closer to the Pacific coast than you might think, and coffees from this region are often used in espresso making in order to get the full essence of their flavor and a clean, almost nutty aftertaste.
- Bean description: As stated, these beans are ideal for espresso making because of their nice, clean aftertaste. Additionally, this is a mild coffee that is not too rich for people who prefer to avoid bitter coffee flavors.
Monte Crisol: A very sweet coffee grown in the west central valley of the country. It’s great for single origin coffee lovers who go to Starbucks and want to buy a coffee they can know and appreciate.
- Bean description: Clean, sweet, and full, this is a great versatile coffee that works well in American palates –hence its popularity in many North American coffee shops.
Villa Sarchi: We mentioned this Bourbon coffee before, like Monte Crisol, but it’s worth mentioning twice. Admittedly this coffee can be difficult to grow, which means its flavors can be off-putting to some, but there’s no reason not to give this coffee a try.
- Bean description: Although not as delicate and subtle as some of the other Costa Rican coffees, it still provides for a full cup and a somewhat hearty bean.
