Costa Rica Tarrazú Jaguar Anaerobic Honey SHB/EP 2023

Honey Process & Anaerobic Coffee Processing

This lovingly curated Tarrazu green coffee blends San Diego Honey Process coffee and Anaerobic Process coffee from Cordillera de Fuego.

The Honey processing method started in Costa Rica but has since spread to other countries across the globe. In this process some or all of the mucilage of the coffee cherry – aka coffee honey – that coats the parchment is left on during the drying stage, giving the coffee a sweeter profile than washed coffees.

The Anaerobic process begins with selection of handpicked mature coffee cherries that have a Brix degree (a measurement of sugar content) near 26. Selecting the cherries when they are at their ripest ensures a high sugar content, which helps feed the anaerobic process.

At the mill, the coffee is depulped and put in air-tight, stainless-steel tanks with the mucilage left on. The absence of oxygen stimulates an anaerobic fermentation process. The process develops in a unique series of acids such as lactic and malic, which results in a very complex flavor.

Green Coffee Bean Quality

A Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) green coffee must be grown at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level or higher. When coffee grows at high altitudes, the coffee cherries mature more slowly. This allows the fruit to take in more nutrients, resulting in denser, sweeter coffee beans that are considered higher quality. During dry milling, the lot was further sorted to European Preparation (EP) specifications with a minimum screen size of 15 and above and a maximum of eight defects within 300 grams.

About Costa Rican Green Coffee

Costa Rica coffees sell at a premium. The country has a reputation for delivering high quality and for innovation – a winning combination. Costa Rica’s quality socio-economic infrastructure programs such as universal healthcare, high education levels, sophisticated agronomy and research, and well-regulated agricultural sustainability programs certainly contribute to the high cost of coffee. Additionally, when coffee roasters buy Costa Rican green coffee, producers receive nearly 80% of the FOB value, guaranteed. Read more in our Costa Rica Green Coffee Origin Report.