Introduction:Delve into the "Beethoven" washed yellow Caturra coffee beans from Finca Carnet in Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region. Explore everything from the growing environment and unique processing method to the variety’s strengths, uncovering the origins of its clean acidity and bright berry-citrus profile. We also provide expert roasting advice and step-by-step pour over parameters to help coffee enthusiasts master the brewing secrets of this high-altitude bean from the Musician Series.

Located in Costa Rica’s renowned high-altitude Tarrazú region, Finca Carnet is celebrated for its distinctive “Musician Series” coffees, among which “Beethoven” is the only one processed using traditional washed methods. Grown at around 1,900 meters above sea level, the yellow Caturra variety highlights clean, bright acidity through the washed process, accompanied by vibrant notes of red berries and citrus, with a delicate almond aroma lingering on the finish.

Named “Beethoven,” these coffee beans reflect Finca Carnet’s deep appreciation for classical music. The farm owner names each coffee after a musician, creating the unique Musician Series. In addition to Beethoven, the series includes other compositions such as Mozart, Bach, and Chopin. Beans in this series generally showcase rich fruit tones and elegant aromas, making them highly distinctive.

Finca Carnet is situated in the highest-altitude area of Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region, which is also one of the country’s most densely planted fruit-growing zones. As one of the country’s top coffee-producing areas, Tarrazú benefits from cool climates brought by its high latitude, as well as fertile, well-drained volcanic soils. These conditions collectively contribute to the exceptional quality of its coffee, which has long been highly regarded in international markets.

Operated jointly by three brothers, Finca Carnet has over a decade of coffee-growing experience. In addition to cultivating coffee, the farm grows a large number of tropical fruits such as passionfruit, with coffee trees managed in carefully designated sections. After the coffee cherries ripen in December each year, they are hand-picked by farm workers and sent to a nearby small-scale, self-built washed processing facility for refinement.

Unlike the other three honey-processed beans in the Musician Series, “Beethoven” is the only one processed using the washed method, better showcasing the pure flavor intrinsic to the coffee beans. The washed process includes: first screening the coffee cherries, then using a pulper to remove the outer skin and pulp; next, the beans with some mucilage are soaked in water for approximately 18 to 36 hours of fermentation; after fermentation, the remaining mucilage is washed away with flowing water, followed by drying the parchment-covered beans until their moisture content reaches about 12%, and finally removing the parchment to complete refining.

This “Beethoven” coffee uses the yellow Caturra variety, a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra. Both yellow and red Caturra are known for their excellent disease resistance, making them highly suitable for high-altitude cultivation. Their characteristics include high yield, strong disease resistance, tolerance to sunlight, and the ability to express delicate and clean acidity—qualities that make them a popular choice among many specialty coffee farms.

In terms of roasting, due to the relatively high density of the “Beethoven” beans, a medium-light roast level is recommended to preserve its bright acidity and fruity profile while enhancing overall flavor balance and complexity. The recommended roasting curve is as follows: preheat the roaster to 170°C before loading the beans, set initial heat to 120 and air damper to 3, with the turn-around point appearing around 1 minute and 36 seconds, then maintain heat; at 140°C, adjust the air damper to 4. At 5 minutes and 55 seconds, when the beans turn yellow and grassy notes fade, enter the drying phase—reduce heat to 100 and keep the air damper at 4; at 176°C, further reduce heat to 85, keeping the air damper unchanged; around 8 minutes and 15 seconds, drying is complete, the bean surface shows wrinkles and black speckles, and you can smell the transition from baked bread aroma to coffee fragrance—closely monitor the onset of first crack; first crack begins at 9 minutes and 1 second, with the air damper fully open and heat unchanged; development time after first crack is about 1 minute and 45 seconds, with the final drop at 193°C.

According to cupping results, this coffee exhibits intense strawberry fruit aromas. Upon tasting, the sweet and sour notes of red berries and the lively acidity of citrus come through, and as the temperature drops, the juicy sensation of the berries becomes more pronounced, with a subtle almond aroma on the finish. The overall flavor profile echoes the style of Beethoven’s early Romantic-era compositions—fresh and layered.

For brewing, it is recommended to use a Hario V60 filter, with water temperature set to 91°C, coffee dose at 15 grams, and a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. Grind size should be medium-fine (recommended using a #20 standard sieve with about 80% extraction). Specifically, start with a 30-gram bloom to allow the coffee bed to form a “hamburger” shape for about 30 seconds; then proceed with steady medium-fine water pouring in circular motions. At 55 seconds, aim for a total of 125 grams of water poured. When the water level drops to two-thirds of the coffee bed, continue pouring to reach 225 grams, with total brew time around 1 minute and 59 seconds. This stepwise extraction method effectively highlights the bean’s floral and fruity notes as well as its balanced sweet and sour profile.

The brewed “Beethoven” coffee offers a clean and refreshing mouthfeel with lingering, intense aromas. Upon tasting, the strawberry juice-like sweet and sour flavors and citrus notes dance like lively notes on the tongue, while the almond aroma and faint floral notes in the finish perfect the overall flavor experience. It is a high-altitude washed yellow Caturra specialty coffee that is truly worth savoring.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.