The Mill That Built Tarrazú
Beneficio San Diego doesn't sound like a coffee operation. It sounds like an institution. And it is — one that has been processing coffee from the Tarrazú and Tres Ríos regions since before Costa Rica had a modern economy. The mill was established in 1888, when coffee was already Costa Rica's primary export, and it has been reinventing itself ever since.
Today, Beneficio San Diego is the most modern mill in the country. But "modern" in Costa Rican coffee doesn't mean automated. It means precise. The mill specializes in receiving cherry from hundreds of smallholder farmers across the Tarrazú highlands, carefully selecting lots based on farm condition and cherry ripeness, and applying processing methods that enhance rather than standardize the inherent character of the bean.
The mill has also taken a leading role in working with producers to ensure good community relations and sustainable production. This isn't a marketing line — it's structural. When coffee roasters buy Costa Rican green coffee, producers receive nearly 80% of the FOB value, guaranteed by national policy. That's not the case in most coffee-producing countries.
The Honey Process: Where Science Meets Craft
The honey process started in Costa Rica and has since spread to other countries in Central America. It sits between the washed and natural methods — some or all of the mucilage of the coffee cherry (the sticky, sugary layer between the skin and the parchment) is left on during the drying stage. This is what gives the coffee its name: the golden, honeyed appearance of the drying beans, and the honey-like sweetness in the cup.
Given the uniqueness and complexity of the honey process, no two honey coffees are alike. This craft process starts with the strict selection of perfectly ripe cherries. Once the coffee is depulped, the mucilage is left on, allowing the natural sugars to enhance the coffee's sweetness. The coffee is then dried on African beds or patios, allowing it to dry in a slow and even way.
Cup Profile: 85.25 and What That Means
A cupping score of 85.25 places this lot firmly in the specialty grade (anything above 80 is specialty; above 85 is considered very good). The 2026 Jaguar Honey was cupped in March 2026, scoring consistently across key attributes. Here's how it breaks down:
The profile leans into sweetness and body, with a clean acidity that keeps the cup from feeling heavy. The flavor notes — creamy milk chocolate, tart raspberry, and honey sweetness — create a cup that's approachable for casual drinkers but complex enough to hold the attention of someone who's been cupping for years.
The Tarrazú Advantage: Altitude and Density
Tarrazú is one of the world's most celebrated coffee-growing regions for high-elevation Arabica. The Jaguar Honey lot is grown between 1,200 and 1,750 meters above sea level. That altitude matters — higher elevation means cooler temperatures, slower maturation, and denser beans. Denser beans hold more complex sugars and organic acids, which translates directly to cup complexity.
The SHB EP designation tells you two things. SHB — Strictly Hard Bean — means the coffee was grown above 1,200 meters, producing the dense, complex beans that specialty roasters demand. EP — European Preparation — means the green coffee has been hand-sorted to remove defects, with a maximum of 3 defects per 300g sample. This is a quality standard, not a geographic one.
Harvest Calendar: November Through March
The Tarrazú harvest runs from November through March, peaking in December and January. This aligns with Costa Rica's dry season, when cherries can be picked at optimal ripeness and dried consistently under sun. The harvest window is critical — too early and the beans are underripe and acidic; too late and they're overripe and fermented.
The Smallholder Story
The average farm size in this lot is three hectares — roughly 7.4 acres. These aren't estates. They're family operations, often multi-generational, delivering cherry to the San Diego wet mill where the honey processing happens. The mill acts as both processor and curator, selecting lots based on farm condition and cherry ripeness, then combining the best into the Jaguar Honey designation.
This model — smallholder farmers feeding a central mill that applies specialized processing — is how much of Costa Rica's best coffee is produced. It differs from the estate model (where one farm controls everything from seed to export) and the cooperative model (where farmers collectively own the mill). In the San Diego model, the mill is an independent entity that must earn the trust of farmers year after year. If it doesn't pay well or process carefully, farmers will deliver elsewhere.
Costa Rica's Quality Premium
Costa Rica coffees earn their reputation. The country has built a name for delivering high quality and for innovation — a combination that few origins achieve simultaneously. Several factors contribute:
Universal healthcare, high education levels, sophisticated agronomy and research, and well-regulated agricultural sustainability programs all contribute to the exceptional quality of Costa Rican coffee. But the most important factor is the one that's least visible to consumers: when you buy Costa Rican green coffee, producers receive nearly 80% of the FOB value. That's guaranteed. In most coffee-producing countries, producers receive 10–20%.
Specifications
| Origin | Tarrazú, Costa Rica |
| Mill | Beneficio San Diego (est. 1888) |
| Producer | Various smallholders, San Diego Mill |
| Elevation | 1,200–1,750 m (3,937–5,741 ft) |
| Variety | 100% Arabica — Caturra, Catuai |
| Process | Honey (Semi-washed) |
| Grade | SHB EP (Strictly Hard Bean, European Preparation) |
| Cupping Score | 85.25 (Specialty Grade) |
| Cupping Date | March 2026 |
| Harvest | November – March |
| Flavor Notes | Creamy milk chocolate, tart raspberry, honey sweetness |
Jaguar Honey 2026 — from the mill that changed Costa Rican coffee.
Bottom Line
The 2026 Jaguar Honey from Beneficio San Diego is a coffee that works on every level. For roasters, it's a reliable specialty-grade lot with a cup profile that delivers. For consumers, it's creamy milk chocolate and tart raspberry without demanding palate expertise to appreciate it. For the supply chain, it's a model where smallholder farmers are actually paid fairly — 80% of FOB value, guaranteed by national policy.
The honey process is what sets this lot apart. It's not the most efficient processing method — it's slower, more labor-intensive, and more variable than fully washed coffee. But that variability is the point. No two honey coffees are alike, and the 2026 Jaguar Honey from San Diego is proof that craft processing, when done by a mill with 138 years of experience, produces something that industrial efficiency cannot replicate.
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