Aquiares

Costa Rica

Centroamericano Red Honey

Grade SHB EP

Produced at Aquiares, one of Costa Rica’s best-known single estate coffee farms, this Centroamericano Red Honey showcases years of work in varietal development and coffee innovation. Grown in Turrialba, from the F1 Centroamericano hybrid, a cross between Sarchimor and the Ethiopian variety Rume Sudan, this coffee reflects years of investment in varieties capable of combining cup quality, productivity, and resilience.

In the cup, expect notes of berries, dried fruit, brown sugar, cocoa, and subtle floral characteristics. The red honey process leaves a portion of the fruit sugars on the bean during drying, which provides additional sweetness and texture without overshadowing the variety itself. The result is a coffee with a juicy, fruit-forward profile, balanced acidity and smooth body, that works well in espresso and filter-focused single origin programs.

Available in 30kg bags and protected with GrainPro for freshness, Centroamericano Red Honey green coffee is a strong option for roasters looking for a distinctive Costa Rican coffee backed by traceable production, careful processing, and one of Aquiares’ most significant hybrid variety programs.

Direct trade green coffee imported by JA coffee through long-term relationships at origin, for specialty coffee roasters.

What is so special about this coffee?

This Centroamericano Red Honey stands out because it combines an innovative coffee variety with a processing method designed to highlight sweetness and cup structure. The F1 Centroamericano hybrid was developed from Sarchimor and Rume Sudan parentage, bringing together the productivity and disease resistance of modern hybrids with the cup potential associated with Ethiopian genetics. At Aquiares Single Estate, this variety has shown a strong adaptation to the farm’s volcanic soils and shaded growing conditions, becoming an important part of the estate’s long-term renovation and quality programs.

What makes this coffee even more distinctive is the work behind its production. The team at Aquiares Estate has spent years developing micro lots across different varieties and processing styles while maintaining complete traceability from field to export. Through ongoing varietal research, quality evaluation, and careful lot separation, the estate continues exploring new expressions of Costa Rican coffee while maintaining the consistency and production standards that define its coffees.

Aquiares: Coffee Rooted in Community

Established in 1980, Aquiares has grown into one of Costa Rica’s largest coffee-producing estates, spanning 925 hectares in Turrialba, with more than 200 hectares preserved as protected forest. Its name, meaning “land between rivers,” reflects the close connection between coffee cultivation, the surrounding environment, and the community that has developed around the farm over generations.

Beyond coffee production, Aquiares has invested in initiatives that support long-term community wellbeing. A housing program introduced in the 1990s helped many workers become homeowners within the community, reinforcing the estate’s belief that sustainable coffee production should support both the land and the people who depend on it. Today, the farm continues combining coffee cultivation, community development, and responsible land management as part of its long-term vision for agriculture.

The Land Behind Aquiares Coffees

Aquiares benefits from elevations ranging between 800 and 1,400 meters above sea level, creating multiple microclimates across the farm. Combined with an extended rainy season and staggered flowering cycles, these conditions contribute to a long harvest period that allows careful cherry selection and supports consistency across production.

Environmental stewardship plays an important role in daily operations. Since 2015, Aquiares has measured greenhouse gas emissions and forest carbon capture through a comprehensive carbon inventory, with verified results showing carbon-neutral and carbon-negative operations. Alongside biodiversity conservation, protected forests, and responsible water management, these efforts help support a production system focused on long-term resilience and the future of coffee farming in Turrialba.

Learn More about Aquiares