07.01.2009 : Coffee of the Month for July - Costa Rica Tarrazú
Roast: Peak - Mild
Flavor: Rich
Body: Medium
Aroma: Bright
Single Origin: Costa Rica, Central America
In the Cup:
The coffee has a light color. It is a bright coffee with a nutty
character and sometimes a sweet honey-like taste. The aroma is also
nutty and sweet with a mild to medium body and depth.
This classic single-origin coffee is grown in the remote cloud-covered
mountains of Central America. The coffee brews a flavorful cup that is
bright, aromatic, and exceptionally well balanced by its smooth and
satisfying body.
- Costa Rica – bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on
the east by the Caribbean – drapes itself across several
parallel mountain ranges with seven active volcanoes punctuating the
country's skyline.
- Only 300 miles long, Costa Rica's blend of mountains, plateaus and
river valleys create a diversity of climatic regions. Each is blessed
with a unique mix of altitudes, soils, temperatures, and rainfall, and
every region produces remarkably different coffees.
- The small Tarrazú district – a steep-walled river
valley perched 5,000 feet high on the Pacific side of the
Cordillera de Talamanca mountains – has been famous for
producing fine coffees since the 1850's.
- These rare coffees are classified as Strictly Hard Bean ("S.H.B.")
because the cooler temperatures at this extreme altitude slow the
trees' growth, creating a denser, more flavorful bean prized in Europe
and North America for its remarkable taste, aroma, and bright acidity.