For us, coffee isn't just a daily ritual, it's a bit of an obsession. If you're reading this, chances are you've also been bitten by the specialty coffee bug, and you know exactly how addictive it is to explore new origins, processing styles, and extraction techniques. Our mission has always been to help you brew better coffee, and now, we're ready to help you take the ultimate step in your coffee journey. We are thrilled to offer a new collection of green coffee offerings for aspiring and seasoned home roasters!

If you need equipment to roast on then browse everything coffee roasting, here.

Costa Rica's specialty coffee legacy began around 1779 when the Central American nation received its first coffee trees from Cuba. In the centuries since, the country has earned a famed global reputation built on high-altitude microclimates and a focus on quality. This dedication is backed by law: a strict 1989 agricultural mandate bans lower-grade varieties, ensuring that only 100% Arabica beans are cultivated nationwide. Highlighting Costa Rica's diverse terroir is the southern Brunca region, which offers growers a unique tropical microclimate. Spanning from the Pacific-influenced valleys of Pérez Zeledón to the humid, high-altitude ridges of Coto Brus, lots grown in Brunca yield vibrant and well-balanced cups.

At the heart of this region is the Café Rivense del Chirripó Micromill, an award-winning processing hub nestled in the foothills of Costa Rica's tallest peak, Mount Chirripó. What began as a family farm in the 1940s has been transformed into a world-class facility, even earning a top spot in Costa Rica's 2019 Cup of Excellence. Today, Café Rivense remains family-operated by Ricardo Ureña, alongside his father Régulo and brother Esteban. Together, the Ureña family continues to push the boundaries of quality, experimenting with and fine-tuning their signature honey processes.

The honey process aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking a balance between the bright clarity of a 'washed' coffee and the heavy sweetness of a traditional 'natural'. This unique profile is achieved by drying depulped coffee seeds with varying amounts of its sticky inner fruit layer, the mucilage, still intact. Packed with natural sugars, pectin, and organic acids, this sugary layer interacts closely with the seed throughout the drying phase.

About Cafe Rivense del Chirripo H3 & Caturra Honey

We selected these two Costa Rican green coffees for our offerings after thoroughly enjoying them when they were roasted by our friends at Origin Coffee Roasting earlier this year. The H3 hybrid and Caturra variety lots were uniquely memorable - making this an exciting opportunity for our home roasting community to experiment with.

The H3 lot showcases a traditional version of the honey process, which should offer a balance between acidity, sweetness, and body in the final cup. The H3 variety itself is a F1 (first-generation) hybrid, crossing Caturra with a wild Ethiopian landrace variety. It is the direct result of intense research by progressive producers looking to create resilient but tasty single-origins. This specific lot underwent a full 'Black Honey' process, meaning almost all of the mucilage was left intact on the seed during the drying phase.

The Caturra Honey lot was processed using a 'Special Fermentation' version of the honey process. This lot is composed entirely of the Caturra variety, a cultivar named after the town in Brazil where it was first discovered. Despite its Brazilian heritage, Caturra has become one of the most widely grown varieties throughout Latin America. The tree's compact size and high yield mean that producers can cultivate larger crops while still delivering flavour complexity in the cup.

Costa Rica Cafe Rivense H3 & Caturra Honey Coffee Details

• Package size: 1KG
• Altitude: 1,300 - 2,000m ASL
• Variety: H3, Caturra
• Preparation: Honey, Special Honey
• Cup profile (distributor notes):
  • H3 — red grape, mixed berries, wild honey
  • Caturra — dark chocolate, dried apricot, candy apple
• Owner: Ricardo Ureña
• Location: Café Rivense del Chirripó
• Country: Costa Rica

Please note that the bean trays in the photos are not included with the green coffee but can be purchased separately.