Your Cart is Empty
Aquiares Estate Centroamericano
Orange, cherry, violet and dark chocolate
$19.40 - $54.40
Expression
Tasting Notes
Orange, cherry, violet and dark chocolate
Acidity
Mellow Bright
Sweetness
Subtle Pronounced
Body
Light Full
Origin
Country
Costa Rica
Region
Turrialba
Producer
Diego Robelo
Farm
Aquiares Estate
Craft
Variety
Centroamericano
Process
Red Honey
Fermentation
Depulped with some mucilage retained, then 18-24 day slow raised bed drying under shade
Elevation
1200 meters
Certifications
Carbon-Negative Farm, Rainforest Alliance
Roast Level
Lighter Darker
Expression
Origin
Craft
Tasting Notes
Orange, cherry, violet and dark chocolate
Acidity
Mellow Bright
Sweetness
Subtle Pronounced
Body
Light Full
Country
Costa Rica
Region
Turrialba
Producer
Diego Robelo
Farm
Aquiares Estate
Variety
Centroamericano
Process
Red Honey
Fermentation
Depulped with some mucilage retained, then 18-24 day slow raised bed drying under shade
Elevation
1200 meters
Certifications
Carbon-Negative Farm, Rainforest Alliance
Roast Level
Lighter Darker
What makes this Costa Rican red honey coffee special?
The Centroamericano H1 brings Ethiopian floral complexity into a stable, reliable plant. We taste violet and cherry aromatics that hold up across brewing methods. Red honey processing amplifies these aromatics: the mucilage layer stays intact during 18-24 day shade-drying, creating enzymatic activity (essentially, controlled fruit fermentation) that develops the dynamic flavor profile we find in the cup.
We developed this as a light-medium roast (end temp 402°F, 11:30 roast duration) to preserve the violet florals while bringing out the chocolate and caramel sweetness that supports the red honey's syrupy body. Drop it earlier and the body isn't there; roast it darker and the florals collapse. This is the roast profile where we found balance.
Worker ownership drives coffee innovation at Aquiares.
We've brought Aquiares Centroamericano back for five consecutive years because when you find a farm that's committed to coffee excellence, quality tends to improve year after year. That constant improvement comes from Aquiares' 1,800-person community where 96% of workers own their homes. Multi-generational experience means cherries are picked at peak ripeness, and the delicate 18-24 day drying period gets executed without cutting corners.
When our co-founder Christopher Pierce visited Aquiares Estate in 2022, he documented the homeownership programs and carbon-negative agroforestry systems that make this year-over-year reliability possible. This stability means the coffee performs consistently, whether you're still dialing in your technique or brewing with confidence.
Competition coffee that doesn't require competition skills.
The Centroamericano's red honey processing carries enough body and inherent sweetness that the cherry and chocolate come through even when you're still learning to brew. And if you want to explore the subtle shifts, like how brew temperature pushes the violet florals or the orange citrus forward, this coffee rewards that attention without punishing small mistakes.
Aquiares Estate has earned its place on our menu year after year through carbon-negative agroforestry, worker homeownership, and consistent cup quality that holds up whether you're a seasoned brewer or just beginning to dial in.
Brewing Guides
Brew Aquiares Estate Centroamericano like we do - here’s how.
Highlights clarity and acidity; best with precise grind, flow control, and flat or conical brewers.
| Brew Ratio | 1:16 (e.g., 20g coffee to 320g water) |
| Grind | Medium-fine (like table salt) |
| Water Temp | 94°C / 201°F |
| Total Brew Time | 2:45 – 3:15 min |
| Yield | 300–320g |
Use a conical dripper and a slightly longer bloom. Keep extraction under 3:15 for clarity and lively florals.
Full immersion with coarse grind; great for body, sweetness, and lower-acidity profiles.
| Brew Ratio | 1:15 (e.g., 30g coffee to 450g water) |
| Grind | Coarse (like sea salt) |
| Water Temp | 93°C / 199°F |
| Total Brew Time | 4:00 – 5:00 min |
| Yield | 400–450g |
French press is very forgiving with this red honey coffee. Stir at 2 minutes and decant immediately after pressing to avoid overextraction.
Pressure extraction with fine grind; isolates intensity, structure, and balance.
| Brew Ratio | 1:2.25 (e.g., 18g coffee to 40g espresso) |
| Grind | Fine (like powdered sugar) |
| Water Temp | 93°C / 199°F |
| Total Brew Time | 25 – 30 sec |
| Yield | 36–40g |
Centroamericano performs well as espresso. Expect balanced citrus acidity and a dark chocolate finish.
Try coffees like this one, on your schedule.
The Rotation is your coffee membership. Every order is a different single-origin, roasted to order and shipped within 48 hours. Explore our full lineup and find you next favorite.
You set the schedule, adjust or cancel anytime.
Red honey processing removes the outer skin but leaves 80 to 90 percent of the mucilage layer on the seed. Those coated seeds dry on raised beds for 18 to 24 days under covered greenhouses, and the sugar-rich mucilage caramelizes and absorbs into the seed during that time. The result is caramel sweetness and a syrupy body; the "red" refers to the color the oxidizing mucilage turns.
Centroamericano H1 is an F1 hybrid developed by CIRAD, PROMECAFE, and CATIE, crossing Sarchimor T-5296 with Rume Sudan, an Ethiopian landrace known for exceptional cup quality. It pairs rust resistance with specialty-grade flavor, and its high mucilage content is what enables the extended red honey drying method. F1 genetics don't breed true from seed, so every tree at Aquiares requires tissue culture propagation.
The estate sequesters more CO₂ than it emits: 3,790 tons captured annually against 1,042 tons emitted. That surplus comes from over 10,000 shade trees across 40 species and 200 hectares of protected rainforest that connects two national parks. Aquiares became the first coffee farm in Costa Rica to achieve NAMA carbon-negative certification in 2016 and hosts a carbon-flux research project with France's CIRAD Institute and CATIE.
Turrialba's wet, Caribbean-influenced climate makes honey processing impractical for most producers; high humidity accelerates mold across the 18 to 24 days these methods require. When Diego Robelo started experimenting in 2015, colleagues told him it couldn't be done. He built covered greenhouses, solar dryers, and Guardiola mechanical dryers maintaining 36°C. That infrastructure is why Aquiares produces honeys the rest of Turrialba can't.
The 1,800-person community at Aquiares, where 96 percent of workers own their homes, is what makes this coffee repeatable. Multi-generational tenure means the harvest team recognizes peak ripeness on these specific trees and knows how the 18 to 24 day drying period should progress. We've brought it back five years running because the caramel sweetness and syrupy body hold crop to crop.
