This week we're roasting Costa Rican Terrazu. It should be said that Costa Rica has the ideal growing climate and terra for growing gourmet Arabica beans. Most commercial coffees there are cultivated in Costa Ricas central valley. The regions of note are Tres Rios, Heredia, Alajuela, and Terrazu.
Terrazu is grown at 1600 meters in altitude and cultivated in rich volcanic soil. The rainfall in this region combined with temperature and soil create this wonderfully robust yet balanced bean. Due to all of these factors and of course the flora surrounding the plantations i.e. banana trees, Hibiscus, etc. this coffee has a wide pallet of flavors. You can expect notes of vanilla, cinnamon, honey, and cocoa. If pressed, I can taste snikerdoodle cookie as an over all note.
Terrazu is graded as SHB (strictly hard bean) which is based on the altitude in which it's grown. It roasts evenly and easily to a medium profile but can also be lovely as a dark roast. Light roasts of this bean can be a bit acidic so we're sticking to a full city roast at Matador Coffee.
As there are many lower quality Costa Rican beans on the market, mostly used for blending, Terrazu is definitely a stand-alone single origin and one worth sipping slowly to discover all of these wonderful flavor attributes.
Grab a bag while supplies last!
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