Great Coffee

Ok...I'm giving up one of my favorite things about PR, great coffee. Many of you may know that almost every town in the highlands has its own coffee. We have tried most of them but one excels. Up in the highlands is a town called Jayuya. Every three to four months we make a pilgrimage to that sacred land of great coffee and purchase pounds of Tres Picachos named for the three famous mountain peaks in that area. The coffee is full bodied without being acidic and like all coffee in PR, it is price regulated by the government. Do you have a favorite coffee, food or restaurant? Lets hear about it.

My vote is for Cuatro Sombras from Hacienda Santa Clara in Yauco.  Probably one of the best coffees I have ever had.  There's a storefront/cafe in OSJ that I visit every couple of weeks to have some lunch and pick up some whole bean.  Every so often they will host a coffee tasting event, which I'd like to attend.  I've had best luck making it with an AeroPress - it really brings out the wonderful flavors.

Hmm, we will be coming for another visit in Feb. 2015.  Is there a favorite to buy in the stores?  We've had some that we really didn't like so brought some from home, lol.  I don't know if we will have time to visit those locations mentioned.  We will be in Rincon.

If I had to buy any at the supermarket I usually got Yaucono.

Thank you, Gregg!  I have heard a few different things on Trip Advisor, too, and wondered what you people on the forum thought.

Hi Schuttzie:

Some stores may sell Hacienda San Pedro - it's another good one.  It's sold in a little burlap sack, both whole bean and ground.  The tourist shops here in OSJ sell it - so you may be able to find it where you are staying. 

These coffees are more expensive than the other brands from PR (Yaucono, Alto Grande, Cafe Crema, etc.), but it's well worth it!

Sounds good!  I don't remember the brands we tried but after a couple we gave up thinking we'll just bring our own.  That maybe there was some hidden secret of their best coffee being shipped elsewhere and the not so good being sold in PR, haha.  It sort of is that way in Jamaica where the real Blue Mountain coffee can be difficult to obtain as the labels as deceiving.

Our day-to-day coffee is Cafe Crema. Pretty good as far as I'm concerned.

I have a friend who lives in the mountains up around the borders of Arecibo and Utuado. He grows and roasts his own beans in small batches and he sells his coffee at the farmers market on Sundays in the Plaza in Rincon. Ask for Jay.

I should check the farmer's markets around here ( Las Piedras, Humacao) for coffee sellers. My wife goes there every now and then for herbs and fresh produce..

Thanks, Gregg for the heads up.  We will definitely be going the farmer's market often.

You will love the vendors there. It's a very small market but a great atmosphere. They also usually have a yoga class going on during the market and somebody doing chair massages. besides organic produce there are essential oils, coco frio and a woman who makes wonderful healthy baked goods and other stuff.

Really sounds nice, Gregg, can't believe we hadn't discovered it before.  We usually stop at little stands along that main road that are selling produce.  We always eat fresh veggies and fish, if we can find it.  I love the atmosphere of market places and the hustle bustle of people selling and buying.  It is actually fun to me, haha.

Just a little input regarding the coffee. I love mostly all the coffee here but I may not be that particular, as long as it is strong and black I like it. I usually get the one that is on sale. Currently I have Yaucono and I like it alot!!!. Mybe it is the fact that I am Puerto Rican and I like coffee the way, I like my men, Dark and strong, ha ha.

LOL!  Yep, I need strong coffee ;)

We were in Old San Juan today and had breakfast in  "Bad Ass Coffee co."
Good coffee and a nice view, too:


http://i60.tinypic.com/2gybv9v.jpg

Nice!

I like Bad Ass Coffee for their iced coffee.  When they make a fresh urn of coffee, they use the old coffee to make the ice cubes!  Doesn't dilute the coffee like other shops.

Garry,

Could you please tell me the location and hours of the Humacao farmers market? I know the Las Piedras one but not the one in Humacao.

Thanks

Skip

Skip, it's pretty much in the midde of town. Google Plaza del Mercado Humacao in maps and you'll get the location and directions.

Just about every Pueblo has a plaza del mercado. Just take a drive into town and ask someone where it is.

Speaking of coffee-----anyone want to plan a Get-Together to share some coffee and swap some stories?  I now live in Humacao, so afternoons are better than evenings, to allow travel time.
BTW, an acquaintance just gave me some home grow, home processed coffee.  A little different from the home grown zucchinis I would get in New York.  It's great to be in PR!

I bet your homegrown coffee is fantastic, frogrock :)  We'll be in Rincon next week, so excited!

Will you be staying, or just visiting Rincón?

Yaucono makes the best iced coffee!

We are just visiting for 17 days.  We can't go full time yet but we hope to soon!

Enjoy your visit to Rincon and especially the coffee.

Thank you, tonie!

We bought a locally grown and roasted coffee at the source (Hacienda Muñoz in San Lorenzo) the other day. $15 for a pound but worth it!

We ended up getting a can of Yaucono (spelling?) in a local Rincon store.  Not bad but we loved the coffee at EC Bakery on 115, just wonderful!

Yaucono is spelled right. Like most supermarket coffees it's OK but not really good.

We do have world class coffee here on the island but you need to find it and be willing to pay the price.
We might get another pound of that great coffee for a special occasion but for do to day use stick to Cafe Crema or the Sam's club home brand coffee (which is also PR coffee and pretty good).

Thanks, Gary!

There is a coffee roasting plant here in Ponce. Cafe Rico, Cafe Crema and yaucono. They are mixed with coffee from Mexico and the Dominican Republic. I use the old coffee sacks to make paths on my farm so I see the country of origin on them. They are not pure Puerto Rican coffee. My favorites are Mi Finca and Lorenzo. Around $5.00 14oz

I've smelled the aroma from rhat plant& Heavenly!