Costa Rican Central Valley – Cafe Vida – Washed Processed

Description

Costa Rica’s Central Valley is widely considered the heart of the country’s coffee industry, shaped by high elevations, steady weather patterns, and volcanic soils that have supported coffee farming for generations. Coffee has been part of Costa Rica’s economic story since the late 1700s, and by the 1820s it had become a major agricultural export.

Another thing that sets Costa Rica apart is how organized the coffee sector is. The national coffee authority, ICAFE, was established in the early 1930s to support agricultural and commercial development and to provide industry oversight.

Café Vida is a regional program built to highlight the classic, approachable side of washed Costa Rica: balanced sweetness, soft acidity, toasted nut character, and an easy “daily driver” profile that works both as a single origin and in blends. Harvest runs December through February, with coffees grown at 1200–1800 masl.

The lot is listed as Common Costa Rican Varieties, and while it’s not tied to a single cultivar, it’s likely a blend of region staples like Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Villa Sarchi, Villalobos, Sarchimor, Venecia, and Costa Rica 95. Washed processing in Costa Rica is designed to be efficient with water use, which is partly driven by national regulation.

Tasting Notes: A nutty and chocolaty cup, with a hint of floral and citric crispness and a slight red fruit sweetness. A good bean for daily drinking and tasty from light to dark roasts. We thought it best around a medium roast, classic Costa with just a pinch of acidity, nutty and chocolate tones with a little floral kicker in the aftertaste. An excellent cold brew, its notes are slightly more pronounced, highlighting its acidity, body, and chocolatey notes. It’s a clean and refreshing coffee with a smooth, lingering sweetness, offering subtle hints of almond and walnut.

Roasting Notes: A straightforward and easy-to-roast washed coffee. For a sweeter and more balanced profile, a medium-light to medium roast is recommended, allowing the cocoa and almond notes to develop. This roast level provides a good balance between acidity and these chocolatey tones. Roasting it darker will yield more pronounced notes of chocolate, spices, and other aromas. If you prefer coffees that aren’t too intense, this coffee is perfect for you. We recommend letting it rest for a couple of days to allow the acidic notes to become more prominent.