Costa Rica Helsar de Zarcero

Farm: Helsar de Zarcerro 

Varietal: Caturra

Process: White Honey / Washed

Roast level: Dark Roast 

Cupping Notes: Hazelnut and ripe black cherry.  Rustic sweetness.  

We dark roasted this Caturra varietal coffee to bring out the deep, comforting nutty and deep fruit notes - creating a rich, full-bodied cup that’s both bold and approachable. Using a single origin like Helsar de Zarcero preserves a sense of place, offering clarity and structure beneath the roast—so you get depth without losing character.

We build long-term relationships with Farmers and select the best coffees available from their harvests year after year.  We visit Helsar de Zarcerro each Spring to walk the farm, visit the farmers and cup the best coffees to bring home.  Meet Ricardo Perez, Helsar de Zarcerro Farm Owner in our video series below.  

Video Credit: Brett Renville

This Costa Rica Helsar de Zarcero from Zoka Coffee originates from the Zarcero region and showcases the Caturra varietal through a white honey/washed processing method. The combination of selective fermentation with washing aims to balance fruit clarity with body—a technique that can highlight both brightness and syrupy sweetness in the cup. The roaster identifies hazelnut, ripe black cherry, and rustic sweetness, suggesting a coffee with nutty foundation notes and darker stone fruit character. Costa Rican coffees from this region typically benefit from volcanic soils and consistent elevation-based growing conditions that support complex flavor development.