Costa Rica, Tarrazú, La Pastora

We Taste: Nougat, butter, macadamia nut, apple, golden raisin, German chocolate

Origin: Costa Rica

Region: Tarrazú

Farm/Washing Station/Mill: Coopetarrazú

Variety: Caturra & Catuai

Altitude: 1700 -1800 Masl

Process Method: Washed (White Honey)

Roast level: Sweet Spot 

Roasting Notes: I’ve been roasting La Pastora for around four years. I’ve experimented with very light roasts, more developed darker roasts, and everything in between. I find it really cups out nicely at a Sweet Spot (medium) or a touch lighter. At a darker roast level it loses some of its delicate nuisance and has a tendency to take on notes of smoke. At a Origin (light) roast level it lacks a sweetness and complexity. 

So for this offering I am roasting it Sweet Spot. Basic profile information-5:00 to Green to yellow, 8:30 to first crack, plus 2:15 development time. I drop this coffee at 408F on the bean probe at 75 on the sweet maria’s roast color card. Or 21 degree’s from 1st crack. 

Sourcing Notes: I've sourced and roasted Costa Rica, La Pastora for over four years now. I first roasted it for BP’s Golden sound blend. I felt like it was a very nice coffee that got a little lost in the blend. It is a great blend component also! It roast’s well at all roast levels. But I feel like it really shines at an Origin plus or Sweet Spot roast. It is a honey processed coffee as the classic washing process is illegal in Costa Rica. But it tastes very much like a classic washed coffee. 

Coffee Info/story: CoopeTarrazú is a Costa Rica cooperative made of over 3,500 partners and associates in the province of San José. Bearing in mind the organization's values of solidarity and sustainability, CoopeTarrazú prioritizes the welfare of its associates, their families, and communities by providing hands-on technical assistance and investing in solutions to combat challenges like coffee rust. One of the most recognizable coffee-producing regions in Costa Rica, Tarrazú accounts for 25 percent of the country's total coffee production.

Each coffee exported by CoopeTarrazú is cultivated at an elevation of 1,200 to 1,900 meters above sea level. Harvest coincides with the region's dry season, which lasts from November to March, this contributes not only to coffee uniformity but also the ability to process the coffee by sun-drying.