Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú – medium roast

Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú – round and balanced medium roast coffee

Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú is a mild, round, and balanced coffee, which we medium roast at Brændeholm Risteri on Funen.

In the cup, we experience notes of milk chocolate and mandarin in particular. The milk chocolate gives the coffee a soft and sweet base, while the mandarin contributes a fresh and fruity nuance.

The result is a coffee that is easy to enjoy, but which also has enough character to offer something to explore.

We find that it works particularly well for filter coffee, French press, and AeroPress, but the medium roast profile makes it a versatile coffee that can be used for several different brewing methods.

If you want to know more about how the roast level affects the taste, you can read our guide to light, medium, and dark roast coffee.

Coffee profile

• Origin: Costa Rica
• Region: Tarrazú
• Producer: Coope Tarrazú
• Species: Arabica
• Classification: SHB Tarrazú
• Roast level: Medium roast
• Processing: Washed
• Altitude: Approx. 1,200–1,900 m.a.s.l.
• Screen: 17/18
• Harvest period: December–January
• SCA score: 82
• Tasting notes: Milk chocolate and mandarin
• Character: Mild, round, balanced, and fresh

How does Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú taste?

What we especially love about this coffee is the balance between round sweetness and fresh fruitiness.

The milk chocolate provides a soft and pleasant sweetness, while the mandarin adds a fresher side that keeps the coffee lively in the cup.

We therefore experience it as:

• Mild and round
• Balanced
• Pleasantly sweet
• Fresh without being sharp
• Chocolate-forward with a fruity nuance

This makes it a great choice if you want a coffee that has more character than a classic dark coffee, but without moving into a very light and acidic flavor profile.

Coffee from Tarrazú in Costa Rica

The coffee comes from Tarrazú, a coffee region in Costa Rica, and is produced through Cooperativa de Caficultores y Servicios Múltiples de Tarrazú – Coope Tarrazú.

The coffee beans are grown at an altitude of approximately 1,200–1,900 meters and are sorted as Screen 17/18.

SHB stands for Strictly Hard Bean and is used for coffee grown at altitudes where the coffee cherries develop more slowly.

This coffee is washed, which means that the fruit flesh is removed from the coffee cherries as part of the processing before the beans are dried.

Why medium roast?

We medium roast Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú to create a balance between the raw coffee's own character and the flavor that develops during roasting.

The medium roast allows space for the mandarin and the coffee's freshness, while the sweet and chocolate-forward side gains more body and roundness.

To our taste, the result is a very versatile coffee where neither fruitiness nor roast dominates the cup.

If you are in doubt about the differences between roast levels, you can read more in our guide to roast profiles.

Costa Rica coffee for filter coffee

We find that this Costa Rica works particularly well as filter coffee.

The medium roast profile provides a balanced cup where both the milk chocolate and the fresh mandarin can be expressed.

It is therefore well-suited for a standard drip coffee machine if you want a round coffee with a bit more freshness and character than a classic dark roast coffee.

You will find specific advice on dosing, grind size, and brewing in our guide to better filter coffee.

Costa Rica for Hario V60 and pour over

The coffee can also be brewed on Hario V60 and other pour over brewers.

Paper filtration typically provides a clean cup where the fresher and more aromatic sides of the coffee become easier to experience.

Here, the mandarin in particular can get a little more room, while the milk chocolate continues to contribute sweetness and balance.

If you brew with V60, you can use our guide to better coffee on Hario V60.

Costa Rica for AeroPress

AeroPress is also one of the brewing methods we think suits this coffee very well.

AeroPress provides the opportunity to adjust grind size, temperature, and brew time, so you can work with the balance between the coffee's sweetness, body, and freshness.

You can use our guide to better coffee on AeroPress as a starting point.

Costa Rica for French press

If you prefer a fuller-bodied cup, Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú also works really well in a French press.

The French press typically provides more mouthfeel than paper-filtered coffee, which suits the round and chocolate-forward character of the medium-roasted coffee.

You can find our recommended method in the guide to better French press coffee.

Whole coffee beans or ground coffee?

If you have a coffee grinder, we generally recommend choosing whole coffee beans and grinding the coffee as close to brewing as possible.

This allows you to adjust the grind size precisely to the brewing method you are using.

If you do not have a coffee grinder, you can choose the coffee ground for:

• Filter coffee
• French press
• AeroPress

The coffee is available in 250 g, 500 g, and 1,000 g.

Roasted at Brændeholm Risteri on Funen

Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú is roasted at Brændeholm Risteri on Funen.

We have chosen a medium roast profile because we find that it gives this coffee a very good balance between milk chocolate, mandarin, roundness, and freshness.

If you are looking for a versatile coffee that works for several different brewing methods and at the same time has a clear but approachable flavor profile, Costa Rica SHB Tarrazú is a very good place to start.

See also our other medium-roasted coffee beans.