Café Costa Rica ‘San José’

Costa Rican specialty coffee with 83.75 SCA points

The Los Santos region, in the province of San José, is home to some of Costa Rica’s best coffee farms. Elevations range from 1,200 to 1,900 meters, a broad range that reflects the diversity of microclimates and sun exposure within the same area. At higher elevations, the fruit ripens more slowly and its sugars have more time to concentrate. At lower elevations, the beans gain body. The combination of farms across this range creates a more complex profile than a single elevation would.

The variety is Arabica, and the process is washed. Without the influence of the pulp during drying, the bean’s clarity is preserved and its fruity attributes come through clearly. This explains why the fruity enzymatic fragrance is so pronounced in this coffee and why the tropical fruit notes are so clean. The washed process is also responsible for the medium-high acidity, which feels fresh and well-structured, never overpowering.

It works with every brewing method. In espresso and moka pot, concentration brings out the chocolate base and the acidity blends in nicely. With pour-over or Aeropress, the fruity fragrance has more room and the tropical profile opens up—this is where the coffee shows its best.

At Cafés El Criollo, we use a natural roast to preserve that fruity expression: a darker roast would flatten it, and that would be a shame.

Characteristics of Costa Rica ‘San José’ coffee

Why choose this Central American coffee

Coffee from Los Santos, Costa Rica, has the most pronounced fruity acidity among Central American coffees. If Guatemala Huehuetenango has a dark profile and Panamá La Mariana is mellow and balanced, Costa Rica San José is the most expressive and lively of the three. Its fruity enzymatic fragrance and tropical fruit notes set it apart from the first sip. If you’re looking for a gourmet Costa Rican coffee with a character of its own, this is the most distinctive option in the Central American catalog.

At 83.75 SCA points, it also has the highest score of the three. And traceability is more than a label: CoopeTarrazú is a real cooperative with more than sixty years of history, 5,000 associated producers, and a working model that combines verifiable quality with documented social impact. It’s unusual to find that level of context behind a Costa Rican specialty coffee at this price.

This coffee works especially well as a first introduction to single-origin coffee with acidity: although the acidity is medium-high, its maximum sweetness and chocolate base make it approachable. It’s also a solid gift for anyone who appreciates quality coffee: it has a story, a verified SCA score, and a rich tasting profile worth discovering slowly, brewed as a pour-over, without rushing.