Coffee Review: Costa Rican Tarrazu, Fratello Coffee Roasters

Posted by toasted on May 20, 2010 in Coffee | 0 comments

Company: Fratello Coffee Roasters

Bean Origin or Blend: Costa Rican Tarrazu (Single Estate: Rio Jorco Micro Mill)

Body: Medium

Roast: Medium

Brew Method: Drip and French Press

Price: $31.20/2lbs. (Purchase)

Background:
This 100% catura bean comes from the Tarrazu Valley in Costa Rica and is produced on a Micro Mill. The Rio Jorco Micro-Mill employs around 5 people and, during harvest time, has 65 pickers. Rio Jorco is located at an altitude of 4600 feet and faces the strong winds of the Pacific Coast, which creates a dry season and imparts an extra sweetness on the coffee from the stress on the trees.

Micro-milling is a fairly new phenomenon, beginning in 2000, that stretches through Costa Rica, where there are now 150 mills employing the practice. The process is being called the Micro-mill Revolution. This revolution is in large part a response to the mega-mills that were controlling the Costa Rican coffee industry.

The term micro-mill refers to a small coffee farm, producing around 152,000 pounds of coffee, which also utilizes a wet mill to process the beans, allowing a farm to process their own cherries and keep a closer eye on the process. For more information visit here.

Profile:
A very soft and pleasant aroma highlights the Costa Rican bean. The primary note is nuts, specifically pralines and pecans, and is accompanied by a very faint aroma of bitter apple. On the pour, the profile remains the same though the nuttiness is very sweet and reminds me a great deal of pecan pie. On consumption, the profile is very alive and yet gentle at the same time. The nuttiness is of course still there, but the bitter apple becomes very sweet and juicy, similar to a nice ripened core, and there is a general smokiness and earthiness to the profile as well. The finish is medium in length with a low acidity and a complex flavor profile that has some interesting movement.

Synopsis:
We’ve now reviewed a handful of Fratello coffees and the common thread is smooth complexity, which is not an easy profile to generate. I continue to be impressed by the care and attention they give to protecting the growers of each bean and I feel a general satisfaction about enjoying and supporting their product. If you enjoy Costa Rican beans, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the gentle complexity found in this cup.