Costa Rica – Sonora

This coffee from Hacienda Sonora is part of a family operation that goes back five generations in Costa Rica’s West Valley region. The Guardia family have farmed coffee here for more than 100 years, historically selling their harvest to large mills, as was the norm. Currently under the management of Diego Guardia, the farm have decided to move away from more water intensive process methods, favoring honey and dry process instead. This 18 bag lot is considered a “yellow honey”, in that roughly 50% of the fruit mucilage is left intact after depulping, and isn’t removed until after the coffee is fully dried (to 10-11% moisture). This process method can impact the cup flavors and physical characteristics too. In the case of this coffee, it possesses fruit and wine-like notes, big body, no doubt tied to process method.

The dry grounds to have a honeyed sweetness that added some aromatic complexity, with fruits that showed a winey quality. The wet aroma shows more potent honey notes that are a bit floral. The fruits in the brew come across a little pulpy, with an acidic aspect that also showed some wine-like qualities (think white wine). These aspects are well integrated into the cup sweetness, showing some raw sugar and honey flavors. Top notes cover white grape, tangy kumquat, and a dash of baking spice. Our medium roast gives off some fruited sweetness, like black plum, and cherry, and while there’s a fair amount of roast bittering, acidity still manages to cut through the cup.