Coffee has been grown here since the early 19th. Century and upon independence from Spain, the government gave away free coffee seeds to encourage tree growth and production. Coffee, from mid to late 19th. Century was the country’s sole export and drove infrastructure including railways which ultimately enabled collection of coffee for export.

Costa Rica has maintained a good reputation and has always achieved good prices for its coffees. Then have always been typically clean and pleasant rather than interesting or unusual. In the later part of the 20th. Century there was a move away from heirloom varieties towards high yielding ones. This made economic sense, but it has meant a decrease in quality and complexity.

Costa Rican coffees are typically very clean and sweet, though often very light bodied. In recent times, micro mills have been producing a wider range of flavours and styles.