Next Level Coffee—Costa Rica Hacienda La Minita

It stands to reason that the best practices produce the best coffee. Peet’s loves to work with farms that pay exceptional attention to detail, and Costa Rica’s Hacienda La Minita takes it to the next level.

Hacienda La Minita is in the well-esteemed Tarrazú coffee region, but occupies an area bordered by the Tarrazú river to the south and the Candelaria river to the north, creating a microclimate that produces an exceptionally balanced and flavorful coffee.

Meticulous Production Makes for Elevated Cups

Their methods are fastidious. Skilled workers monitor the plantings and use a selective pruning system to maintain the health and quality of the trees. During harvest, even after beans have been through color and size grading, workers sort them by hand, identifying beans with infinitesimal flaws. Every process is refined and elevated to the highest degree.

It is with good reason that Hacienda La Minita is among the most famed producers—not just in Costa Rica or even Central America, but the world. This is where we take Peet’s team members to show them a model operation. Simply, this is how it’s done.

Beautiful Coffee, Hot or Cold

That level of attention to detail bears itself out in the cup. With all the negatives stripped away, the resulting beans are immaculate, but not lean or flat. Instead, the result is positively elegant, even poetic. Hacienda La Minita hits the palate with characteristic citric acidity, then opens up to quenching fruity notes of elegant, ripe apricot harvested warm off the tree. It is the very essence of early summer and makes a profoundly satisfying cold brew or iced coffee.

The key to iced enjoyment is refreshment. The coffee should be, by nature, juicy, clean, and quenching, one whose smooth, bright character will fit the bill. A coffee whose potency cleaves through the cold, resulting in a cup so flavorful you can smell it on ice, with just the roasty crispness to cut through any cream. Refreshing, coffee-forward, balanced, and sweet, with complete satisfaction from balance to flavor to brightness. 

It’s a cup for those who understand quality—elegant, bright, uniquely ripe and delicious. Sounds nice? Tastes even better.

NOTES FROM THE PEET'S ROASTERY

Roaster Mike Madden just hit a significant milestone here at Peet’s, having just celebrated his 20th anniversary in the Roastery. Truly, this is a testament to his commitment to and passion for for roasting, but it also underscores the tremendous depth of his experience. He’s built a catalog of knowledge based on countless roastings over the years. Often, he’s presented with new challenges, beans we’ve never worked with before, that force him to dabble and experiment to hit the mark. And then there’s Hacienda La Minita.

This is an estate we know well at Peet’s, one we esteem greatly for their meticulous processes and pristine beans. As such, we greeted Hacienda La Minita as we would an old friend. We know its roasting profile pretty well, though of course even an experienced roaster needs to tinker to make adjustments for every batch.

Upon opening the bag of green beans, we were struck with a powerfully fruity aroma of melon rind and mango—juicy, ripe, and heady. This aired out swiftly, leaving behind a lingering grassy note, pleasant and fresh, and a harbinger of the final roast.

One thing we know about these beans is that they are relatively quick to lay down. This means that, after running the beans hot to reach first crack and cutting the heat, they calm down more readily. This is in contrast to, say, a Brazilian bean, that will continue to pop away for a few more degrees of temperature buildup in the roaster. Consequently, this gives us more control, with less chance of overshooting on the roast. The bean and roaster dance in perfect step.

Compared to many other Costa Rica coffees, that characteristically bristle with bright lemon notes, Hacienda La Minita presents alluring earthy cocoa powder notes and a malty, toasted grain profile reminiscent of our favorite classic crunchy, nugget-shaped breakfast cereal. While it would make a perfectly good cold brew, we recommend making it hot in the press pot and then pouring over ice for a brisk seasonal sipper. Fittingly, Hacienda La Minita only comes to us in June, making it a delightful summer coffee.

-John Nicolini and Michael Madden, Roasters