Superba Coffee: Costa Rica Santa Laura

I’m particularly excited to write this review, because it marks a milestone for A Table In the Corner of the Cafe. A few weeks ago, the fine folks over at Superba Coffee, in Marina Del Rey, California, read some of my reviews, decided to contact me, and offered to send me samples of a couple of their roasts to taste and review. Mike Crimmins, the founder of Daily Shot of Coffee, told me that, as a coffee reviewer and blogger, you never forget the first the company that sends you a free sample—I think he may be right.

Superba Coffee—thank you so much for the opportunity to review your coffee. You’ve taken this wee project of mine to another level.

Now, let’s get down to brass tacks.

Superba Coffee, as I mentioned, is based in sunny Marina Del Rey, California, just outside Los Angeles. The company, which launched in January 2010, was founded by a couple of coffee-loving entrepreneurs who, much like this writer, were tired of drinking the poor-quality, over-roasted coffee that they were being served in their local cafes, restaurants, and hotels. So they decided to found Superba—a venture, as described on their website, that is specifically focused on increasing the quality of coffee for the hospitality sector. In the year and a half or so since Superba opened their doors for business, they’ve been garnering praise from bloggers and industry professionals alike.

Personally, I was a little nervous about reviewing their coffee; because I felt that, in light of their generosity, I’d almost have to give their coffee high marks. Fortunately, their coffee was so good that I didn’t need to worry about pandering.

When they first contacted me, they wanted to know which of their roasts I’d like to try. After I told them that I had just reviewed Peet’s Coffee and Tea’s Alta de Dota, they were eager to send me their Costa Rica Santa Laura to see how it compared. They also decided to send me a bag of Colombia San Agustin, which I will be reviewing in the coming week or so.

Their Costa Rican coffee comes from the Santa Laura plantation, which extends over 750 acres in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica. The beans from this plantation are grown in ideal conditions—in volcanic soil, which provides proper percolation and ideal pH, during Costa Rica’s summer, and at high elevations of 1400-1600 meters, where the air is thin and clean. All of these conditions combine to create an environment that is just about as close to perfect as a coffee plantation can get. This is evident in the coffee’s taste.

The first thing I noticed about the Costa Rica Santa Laura is its warm, sweet, nutty aroma—a scent not unlike peanut butter. The flavor, like other great Costa Rican coffees, was complex, featuring conflicting notes that presented themselves upon first sip and as it cooled down. The coffee’s three stages were so unique and so well-defined, that it was almost as if I was drinking three different coffees.

First of all, the Santa Laura was bright, lively, and intense berry and fruit flavors dominated the early stages of the coffee post-brew: blackberry, raspberry, currants, and hints of citrus were immediately present that all lent themselves to a bit of an acidity. There was definitely an aftertaste left on the palate, but not too intense; just a faint reminder that you just had a sip of coffee.

As it cooled down, the really intense fruitiness and citrus started to dissipate. Oddly enough, the time lapse of the coffee’s aging process almost mirrored the aging process of the fruit flavors in the coffee. As it cooled, the liveliness and brightness toned down and took on a more well-rounded taste. Rather than a tropical fruit basket, the coffee became more like a handful of trail mix. The fruit flavors seemed to age a bit—the berry and currants tasted more like the dry versions of themselves—and the nuttiness that I detected in the aroma re-emerged; not as the peanut butter it so resembled at first, but more like an almond or a pistachio. Underneath it all was a bed of smokiness—not a burnt, ashy smoke from the roaster, but a natural smoke, emblematic of the region.

At the room temperature stage, when all of the brightness of the cup has completely faded, and the nuttiness has toned down a bit, a third distinct flavor came out—a sweet, mellow, honey taste that coated the palate. This, along with the intense fruitiness that first appeared, was an even more prevalent feature when I brewed it as an espresso; so sticky sweet.

The Bottom Line

So, the moment of truth—how does Superba Coffee’s Costa Rica Santa Laura compare with Peet’s Coffee and Tea’s Alta de Dota? The Santa Laura was a complex cup that featured a light-medium, bright body that mellowed over time; the Alta de Dota was also complex, but was more robust because of its aging process, featuring a medium-full body that maintained its presence even as it cooled down. The Alta de Dota was also considerably smokier and its fruitiness was deeper—not crisp and bright like the Santa Laura; again, this being due to the Alta de Dota’s aging process.

In this scenario, I can’t really say one is better than the other. For what they are, they’re both quality cups of coffee—it really depends on what the consumer’s taste preference is. Do you prefer your coffee to be brighter or balanced? Sweet or smoky? Lighter or fuller bodied?

As for me, as much as I love Peet’s Coffee and Tea, I liked how challenging the Santa Laura was—how it evolved in each stage of the post-brew process, taking its consumer on a taste journey. So, I have to tip my cap to Superba Coffee for creating a really wonderful roast of a Costa Rican coffee; and I can’t wait to dive into their Colombia San Agustin next.

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