Should we still highlight Tarrazú, one of the most renowned coffee regions? Located about a two-hour drive south of San José, Tarrazú is Costa Rica’s coffee goldmine. Its mountainous terrain, lush vegetation, and well-defined seasons create ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. Coffee plantations here thrive at elevations above 1,500 meters, allowing the cherries to mature slowly and fully develop their flavors. While the average farm size is around 3 hectares, many coffee producers rely on
external washing stations and deliver their ripe cherries to a Beneficio—a wet mill in Costa Rica.

Beneficio San Diego, owned and operated by our sister company Café Capris (Volcafe Costa Rica), is the most advanced mill in the country. Established in 1888, it has continually evolved with innovation. Situated in the heart of the Tarrazú and Tres Ríos regions, Beneficio San Diego specializes in processing local coffees and is committed to enhancing efficiency and quality standards. The mill also plays a leading role in fostering strong community relations and promoting sustainable production. With extensive expertise and a tradition of innovation, Beneficio San Diego employs unique methods, such as thermal fermentation tanks and yeast applications, to create distinctive cup profiles. The anaerobic fermentation process takes place in an oxygen-deprived environment, allowing coffee to ferment in the absence of air.

This unique method causes the sugars in the coffee cherries to ferment, producing distinctive acids that create exceptional and unique flavors. The key to achieving these remarkable flavors lies in the sugar content of the cherries, which is why we select only the ripest cherries from the highest slopes of the Tarrazú region, renowned for producing some of the best coffees in Costa Rica. After fermentation, the coffee is moved to sundrying patios, where it is dried to an ideal moisture level of 11.5% before being stored to rest. During this resting period, the exotic coffee notes continue to develop, enhancing the coffee’s complexity and flavor profile.

The anaerobic fermentation process takes place in an oxygen-deprived environment, allowing coffee to ferment in the absence of air. This unique method causes the sugars in the coffee cherries to ferment, producing distinctive acids that create exceptional and unique flavors. The key to achieving these remarkable flavors lies in the sugar content of the cherries, which is why we select only the ripest cherries from the highest slopes of the Tarrazú region, renowned for producing some of the best
coffees in Costa Rica. After fermentation, the coffee is moved to sundrying patios, where it is dried to an ideal moisture level of 11.5% before being stored to rest. During this resting period, the exotic coffee notes continue to develop, enhancing the coffee’s complexity and flavor profile.