Central Valley

The Central Valley around San José is where Costa Rican coffee started — the oldest planted land in the country, and the reason coffee reshaped the national economy in the nineteenth century. Volcanic soil from Poás, Barva and Irazú sits directly under the farms.

It is also the region under most pressure: the valley holds most of the country's population, and coffee land here competes directly with housing.

Balanced and approachable: milk chocolate and almond sweetness, gentle citric acidity, a medium round body. Less dramatic than Tarrazú and easier to drink without attention.

Volcanic valley floor and lower slopes around the capital, at moderate altitude.