Hacienda La Minita – Smoothest Estate Coffee Beans in Tarrazú
Author: Russell Volz • Published: October 11, 2025 • Updated: August 27, 2026
Coffee’s coffee. If you’ve had one cup, you’ve had them all. Right?
I must have said that a thousand times. Man, was I wrong.
After nearly two decades of taste-testing beans from all over the world, I thought I knew what good coffee was. Then we got to Hacienda La Minita this year. This wasn’t just better coffee. It was something else entirely. It hit me the same way tasting real chocolate does for the first time — that moment where your brain kind of short-circuits and you think, “What the hell just happened?” I wasn’t ready for it. We weren’t ready for it. And once we tasted it, there was no going back. Unlike other roasters, we went a different direction.
📜 Video Transcript
Why We Taste Every Coffee Before We Roast It
Hello coffee lovers. My name is Alisha Volz and I am from Lake City Coffee.
Today we are going to get into the taste testing of the Hacienda La Minita estate beans from the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica.
Most coffee companies don’t even taste their coffee before they buy it. They just buy whatever is available. Not Lake City Coffee. We taste each and every one of our beans as it comes to us during every picking season. That’s how we choose our coffee — we go through and literally taste two dozen different coffees. Sometimes from around the world, but mostly from Costa Rica, because we have found that Costa Rican coffee is far superior to other regions. They simply have a more sophisticated taste.
A Little About Me and How I Taste
A little bit about myself: I am a wine lover, and wine and coffee share a lot of the same qualities when it comes to tasting.
So let’s get into the nose of the coffee.
The Medium Roast We’re Tasting Today
First of all, our coffee — the one we’re tasting today — is a medium roast. This is how it looks. Very nice indeed.
I’m going to go ahead and smell the coffee first as it’s brewed.
How We Brewed This Cup
We brewed it in a French press and used about 25 to 30 grams. We let it steep for between 3 and 4 minutes. This one was steeped for 4 minutes.
Take a pretty good whiff.
What the Nose Reveals
On the nose I’m getting chocolate, berry, and a little bit of a slight earthy smell.
The Taste: Milk Chocolate and Stewed Berry
Sorry about the slurping sound, but that’s how we pick up the nuances of the coffee.
The first thing I’m tasting on the front end, as I’m inhaling and tasting the coffee, is a little bit of milk chocolate. Then what I’m getting is a heavy berry flavor — maybe like a stewed or baked berry in the middle.
Take another taste.
Mouthfeel and the Long Finish
It has a very smooth mouthfeel. The finish is exceedingly long. It has a long-lasting flavor even after I have finished swallowing — a long berry finish with notes of milk chocolate at the end.
The mouthfeel is very smooth.
Final Thoughts on This Sophisticated Coffee
Overall, this is a well-balanced, sophisticated coffee and personally it’s one of the best coffees that I have ever tasted. I very much enjoy this and I think that you will too.
Bon appétit.
Why We Only Roast One Bean
Most roasters carry a long list of beans and blends. We made a different decision.
Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, we chose to focus on just one single origin bean — and getting it right. This approach lets us stay sharp. We get to know one coffee deeply instead of spreading our attention across many different origins and processes.
Every year, Alisha and I taste through roughly two dozen beans from the Tarrazú region. We’re not looking for “pretty good.” We’re looking for something special — smooth, low in bitterness, and full of character. Out of everything we try, we only keep one.
We first selected Hacienda La Minita estate beans in the spring of 2025. We bought four tons to carry us through the following year. Then in 2026, we taste-tested another two dozen Tarrazú beans — and once again, Hacienda La Minita came out on top. We’re now roasting their estate beans for the 2026/2027 season, and we’ve already secured options for 2027/2028.
We made a different decision. And because of it, you’re about to taste something most people never get to experience.
Estate Beans vs. Co-op Blends: Why It Matters
What Are Co-op Blends?
Most premium coffee sold today is blended. Co-ops collect beans from many different farms in a region and mix them together. The public story is that blending combines the best traits of several beans. In practice, it often averages everything out — and sometimes it’s just a way to use cheaper beans while still calling the coffee “premium.”
What Does “Single Origin” Really Mean Today?
Single origin used to mean beans from one specific farm or estate. Unfortunately, the term has been diluted. Today, “single origin” often just means beans from the same general region — a blend of the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s no longer a guarantee of quality or consistency.
What Are True Estate Beans?
Estate beans are the real deal. The grower, processor, and exporter all operate on the same property. The owner can literally see the coffee plants, pickers, trucks, and processing from their home. This gives complete control over every step of the process.
How Estate Lots Are Different
One of the biggest (and most overlooked) differences between estate beans and co-op beans shows up in how lots are managed.
On a co-op, beans coming in from many different farms on the same day often get the same lot number. Everything gets mixed together.
On a true estate like Hacienda La Minita, the process is completely different. Pickers move through a specific field, carefully picking only the ripe cherries that day. When they finish, those bags get their own unique lot number. The following week they return to the same field, pick the newly ripe cherries, and create an entirely new lot. Flavor can vary noticeably from lot to lot — which is exactly why we taste so carefully before we buy.
This level of control and precision is one more reason we choose true estate beans over co-op blends.
Why Farm Direct Estate Beans Matter
Farm direct means we buy straight from the owners with no middlemen. When you combine that with true estate production, you get maximum quality control and consistency. That’s exactly what we have with Hacienda La Minita.
We made a different decision — choosing true estate beans over blends. And because of it, you get a cleaner, more consistent cup most roasters simply can’t deliver.
Estate Beans vs. Co-op Blends: Why Our Choice Matters
| Aspect | Typical Co-op / Blended Beans | Hacienda La Minita Estate Beans (What We Offer) |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership & Control | Many farms = Co-op averages everything | One estate fully controls growing + processing |
| Blending | Almost always blended | Zero Blending – Pure single-estate |
| Consistency | Varies year to year and farm to farm | Extremely consistent |
| Traceability | Region only | Exact estate, exact land |
| Middlemen | Multiple layers | Farm Direct – we buy from the owners |
| Flavor Clarity | Often muted or averaged | Prominent fruit notes, with chocolate finish |
| Acidity / Smoothness | Hit or miss | Extremely smooth, low-acid |
| Who Benefits | Volume-focused companies | You – the person drinking the coffee |
How We Taste-Test and Select Our Bean Each Year
Little-known fact: The vast majority of coffee companies never actually taste the beans they buy and sell to you. To them, a Colombian is a Colombian. A Costa Rican is a Costa Rican. They treat every bean from the same country as basically the same.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Why Location (and Lot) Matter So Much
Most people know that beans from one country taste different from the country next door. What they don’t know is that eans from one region within a country taste different from the neighboring region. Even more discerning, beans from one estate taste different from the estate next door. Hell, beans from one bush can taste different from the bush growing right next to it.
Realtors are right — location really does matter.
That’s exactly why we don’t just order “good Tarrazú coffee” and call it a day. We taste-test rigorously every year.
Our Annual Taste-Testing Process
We line up roughly two dozen beans from the Tarrazú region and methodically work through them. We brew them side-by-side (usually with a French press so we get the fullest picture), score for smoothness, bitterness, body, aroma, flavor clarity, and finish. We’re not looking for “pretty good.” We’re looking for the one bean that makes us stop and say, “Okay… that’s different.”
Alisha’s Trained Palate as a Wine Sommelier
Alisha is a professional wine expert and sommelier. Her training in tasting and evaluating wine gives her a highly refined palate for subtle flavor differences, structure, and balance. When we taste coffee together, she often picks up notes and nuances I miss at first. That trained precision is a huge advantage when we’re choosing the single bean we’ll roast for the entire year.
What We’re Looking For
A coffee roaster could look at Hacienda La Minita’s pedigree and reputation and just buy the beans. But that’s not good enough for us — or for you. We’re after a very specific profile: extremely smooth, low acidity, real chocolate character, and a clean finish that lingers without bitterness. Most beans fall short in at least one of those areas. The ones that make the final cut have to excel in all of them.
Why Hacienda La Minita Won Again
In 2025 we selected Hacienda La Minita estate beans and bought four tons. In 2026 we went through the full process again with another two dozen Tarrazú samples. Once more, Hacienda La Minita came out on top. We were so impressed that we’re in the process of securing options for the 2027/2028 season. When the same bean wins two years in a row, against strong competition, you know you’ve found something special.
We made a different decision — building a serious, disciplined tasting process instead of just chasing the latest origin story. And because of it, you’re about to taste something most people never get to experience.
Alisha’s Tasting Notes on Hacienda La Minita
Alisha’s trained palate as a professional wine expert and sommelier is a big reason we’re so confident in this bean. When we taste side-by-side, she consistently picks up subtle notes and structure that most people (including me at first) miss.
Here’s how the 2026 Hacienda La Minita estate beans performed, along with how they compare to last year’s winner.
Year-over-Year Tasting Comparison
| Stage | 2025/2026 – Hacienda La Minita Estate Beans (Last Year) | 2026/2027 – Hacienda La Minita Estate Beans (This Year) |
| Aroma | Prominent Chocolate | Chocolate, berry, and a little bit of a slight earthy smell |
| Front | Soft Chocolate / Smooth | Milk Chocolate |
| Middle | Strong Chocolate / Smooth | Strong and pleasant stewed or baked berry |
| Mouth Feel | Medium | Very smooth mouthfeel |
| Finish | Cherry – Very Uncharacteristically Long | Very long berry finish with notes of milk chocolate |
| Overall | Very Smooth, Complex, Balanced | Very smooth, well-balanced, and sophisticated coffee; one of the best coffees that I have ever tasted. |
Conclusion: Why This Bean Changes Everything
Most coffee companies chase volume, variety, and the next trendy origin. We made a different decision.
We decided to taste carefully, choose only the best, buy true estate beans, and roast them with obsessive attention to smoothness and flavor. We decided that one exceptional bean, carefully selected year after year, is better than a long list of “pretty good” ones.
That decision led us to Hacienda La Minita.
After nearly two decades of tasting, this is the bean that still makes us stop and say, “What the hell just happened?” It’s the one that reset our standards. The chocolate is rich, the tropical fruit finish is clean and long, the body is full yet rounded, and the whole experience is almost completely free of bitterness or harshness.
We made a different decision — and because of it, you get to experience coffee the way it rarely gets experienced.
If you’ve ever felt that most specialty coffee is good but not special, this is the cup that can change your mind.
We roast it Tuesday morning and within 3 hours, it’s on its way to you.
Ready to taste the difference for yourself?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you only roast one bean?
We believe focus produces better results. Instead of offering a long list of average beans, we spend our energy finding one exceptional bean each year and roasting it as well as we possibly can. That single-minded approach is what allows us to deliver the smoothness and flavor we’re known for.
What does “estate bean” actually mean?
True estate beans come from one specific farm where the owner controls growing, harvesting, processing, and exporting. The coffee plants, pickers, and processing facilities can literally be seen from the owner’s home. This gives far more consistency and quality control than most coffee on the market.
How is this different from regular single-origin coffee?
The term “single origin” has been watered down. Today it often just means the beans came from the same region and were blended by a co-op. Our Hacienda La Minita beans are true estate coffee — unblended and fully controlled by one farm. That’s a much higher standard.
Is this coffee low-acid and good for sensitive stomachs?
Yes. One of the main reasons we chose this bean is its exceptionally smooth, low-acid profile. Many of our customers who struggle with acidity in other coffees tell us this is the one they can drink comfortably.
How fresh is the coffee when I receive it?
We roast every Tuesday morning and ship the same day. In most cases your coffee is on its way to you within three hours of being roasted. Typically, our coffee arrives in 2-4 days. If you choose FedEx, well then the coffee might even still be warm (24-48 hours).
What’s the difference between this year’s bean and last year’s?
Both years we selected Hacienda La Minita estate beans. This year the chocolate and fruit have switched places. The front and middle are very smooth with well rounded fruit. Then the finish has a very noticable chocolate note. Both last year and this year are excellent — this year’s just has a slightly different fruit character.
Do you offer subscriptions?
Yes. We offer flexible subscription options so you never run out of fresh coffee. You can easily pause, skip, or change your plan whenever you want.
Want to explore more tips on beans?
Meet Russell & Alisha Volz
At Lake City Coffee Roasters, we roast every Tuesday and ship the same day so your coffee arrives fresh. Alisha’s professionally trained palate (wine–sommelier) helps us select the smoothest, lowest-acid beans from Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region each year. You can also read more about how we got started in this Spokesman-Review feature.
If you’re looking for coffee that tastes great and is easy on your stomach, you’re in the right place.
“This is What $25 Coffee Looks Like.” — Russell & Alisha
Roast/Ship Same Day
Farm Direct
Single Origin
Fully Traciable
