History of Coffee in Costa Rica
Even though there are no official records on the arrival of coffee to Costa Rica , several sources help us paint a fairly accurate picture of the beginnings of Costa Rica' s coffee industry.
The most accurate date that we can pinpoint for the arrival of coffee in our country is the last decade of the eighteenth century. This date is derived from a letter sent by Panamanian trader Agustín de Gana to the Governor of Costa Rica, Don José Vásquez y Téllez, announcing that two pounds of coffee were on its way to us. Read more
 The goodness of the Down to Earth Coffee
The Down to Earth coffee is produced exclusively in the Dota Tarrazu Valley in Costa Rica, the premiere location in the coffee industry and an unmistakable guarantee of gourmet coffee quality. Its altitude, between 4,700 and 6,000 feet,
produces what is known as Strictly Hard Bean coffee, (SHB). This coffee bean is denser and has a tightly closed fissure to effectively guard its outstanding aroma and flavor.
Since 1865, the best Costa Rican coffee has come from the Dota Tarrazu region. Specializing in 100% high quality beans, the Dota Tarrazu Valley produces coffee that has been certified over and over as the best in the world. Our coffee is
well balanced, with fragrant aroma, its mild taste with smooth body and its sought-after acidity has become its trademark. These characteristics combine to produce a rich, crisp cup.
The Tarrazu name
Traditionally, all of the coffee from the Dota Tarrazu Valley has been exported under the Tarrazu appellation. This came from the fact that years ago, the first road access from San Jose to the the Valley came in through the Tarrazu side. Today, the Dota side of the Valley produces equal if not better quality, and it is slowly becoming an important appellation in its own right.
What makes the Dota Tarrazu Valley special?
The Dota Tarrazu Valley is located on the Costa Rica Pacific watershed, which is characterized by well-defined rainy and dry seasons. Total rainfall in this land of many shades of green averages 2,000 millimeters (79 inches) over a 155-day
period. Temperatures are very pleasant, averaging 19º C (66º F), and sunlight levels range from 44% to 54%, providing 2,150 hours of light during the year. Relative humidity averages 84%.
Altitude: approx. 3,950-5,590 feet (1,200 to 1,700 meters)
Acidity: very high / Body: very good / Aroma: very good
Picking season: this is a late harvest area which ripens between January to March
Single Origin Coffee
Single Origin coffee is coffee that has been grown in a specific area known for the quality of its harvest, with the guarantee that all of its beans share the same physical characteristics.
The benefits of Single Origin coffee are an even quality and smooth flavor that a blend can not produce. An equivalent of Single Origin in the liquor industry is Single Malt whisky.
All of the Down to Earth coffee is Single Origin Guaranteed from the Dota Tarrazu region..
Estate Coffee
Estate coffee is the product of a single farm, taking the concept and benefits of Single Origin to the extreme. Characteristics like our chocolate nutty taste are intensified in the Estate coffee, specially after being dried under the sun.
The best coffee that Down to Earth offers is the Cordoba Estate,
produced from beans carefully selected at the 7 acre farm of Santos
Cordoba. Click here to read more about
the Cordoba Estate.
Low Caffeine
Caffeine content is lower in trees of the Arabica type, that grow in the higher altitude ranges.
Highland coffee, or Strictly Hard Bean coffee, has a caffeine content that is about 30% lower than regular coffee in the US . Furthermore, coffee sweats off caffeine during the roasting process which makes the darker roasts lower in caffeine. A Single Origin Highland Dark Roast should have a caffeine content similar to Decaf coffee in the US.
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