Costa Rica — San Marcos de Tarrazú / CoopeTarrazú

Coffee Profile

Origin Details

The Founding Story

Reclaiming the Beneficio

Before 1960, smallholder coffee growers in the Los Santos zone faced a deeply unfair economic reality. They generated highly valuable, specialty-grade fruit — but had absolutely no say in its processing, administration, or marketing. Private, powerful mill owners known as beneficiadores imposed strict delivery deadlines and rock-bottom prices. Isolated farmers had no choice but to accept them, locking families into a cycle of bare subsistence.

In its first year, the cooperative could only process about 4,000 quintals (46-kg bags) of coffee. Today, that collective power represents roughly 5,000 members and processes a staggering 300,000 quintals annually — accounting for nearly 14% of Costa Rica’s total coffee production. From 228 farmers and one small mill to a national institution in six decades.

The Terroir

The Volcanic Canvas

To understand the striking flavor notes of pineapple juice, blackberry, and almond in your cup, you have to look directly at the soil. The farms surrounding San Marcos are anchored in deep, dark volcanic loam — highly porous, nutrient-rich earth packed with potassium, magnesium, and weathered volcanic ash from ancient eruptions.

When the root systems of the Caturra and Catuai trees drink from this unique geology at 1,300–1,600 meters above sea level, they absorb a dense cocktail of minerals that hyper-accelerates the plant’s enzyme production. This chemical stress manifests in the cup as a brilliantly crisp, tropical malic acidity — mimicking the juicy, sweet spark of fresh pineapple juice.

The cool mountain air slows the development of the cherry, allowing complex sugars to build up in the fruit pulp — which translates during roasting into a deep, jammy blackberry middle and a smooth, comforting almond finish.

The Varietals

Two Classics. One Extraordinary Cup.

The Tarrazú profile is built on two of the most celebrated Arabica varietals in Central America — each playing a distinct role in the final cup.

The Harvest

Cajuelas, Community, and the Changing Valley

The harvest season in Tarrazú is a high-energy, vibrant transformation. The region’s population triples overnight as thousands of seasonal workers stream into the valley to harvest the fruit. The very first crates of the season are traditionally delivered as early as August — a moment the cooperative celebrates with immense local pride.

The culture of the harvest is deeply intersectional. Alongside local cafetaleros, the rows are filled with indigenous Ngäbe and Buglé families migrating from Panama, as well as seasonal pickers from Nicaragua. Every afternoon during peak harvest, a relentless parade of vehicles snakes down the mountain roads toward the central wet mill, loaded with perfectly ripe ruby-red cherries picked that day.

The Process

The Golden 72 Hours

From the second the tires stop moving at the wet mill, the clockwork begins. Not a single minute is wasted. The entire journey from fresh-picked cherry to locked-in green coffee happens in a blistering, hyper-efficient window of just over 72 hours.

The Cooperative

Engineering Social Resilience

Processing coffee this efficiently allows CoopeTarrazú to run a complete social enterprise model — insulating farming families from economic volatility and reinvesting profits directly into the community.