Costa Rica Hacienda Sonora Yellow Honey

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Get ready to savor the sweet adventure of Costa Rica Hacienda Sonora Yellow Honey! Bursting with vibrant flavor notes of juicy apricot, ripe nectarine, and zesty tangerine, this coffee is a true treat for your senses. The aroma greets you with a clean, refreshing citrus scent, setting the stage for a beautifully balanced cup. With its delightful blend of stone fruit and citrus, paired with a medium to heavy body, this coffee is as memorable as it is delicious. Sip, smile, and enjoy every golden drop!

The Costa Rica Hacienda Sonora Yellow Honey Micro-lot is produced by Alberto and Diego Guardia, along with a skilled team managing nearly 200 acres of diverse arabica varieties. Alberto took over the farming operations in the 1970s and made coffee the farm’s primary agricultural crop, which soon became the family’s main source of income. In 1999, during a period of historically low coffee prices, Alberto invested in a private mill to improve quality. This decision positioned him as a pioneer in alternative processing methods, such as Honeys and Naturals.

At the same time, he planted a diverse assortment of arabica varieties. One notable variety is Catigua, a Yellow Catuai and Timor hybrid. Catigua has earned its place at Hacienda Sonora due to its exceptional cup quality, high productivity, and impressive rust resistance. Its plant size is similar to Catuai, allowing for close planting, while the cherries themselves are notably large. Alberto’s forward-thinking approach and commitment to planting independence have left a lasting legacy, showcasing the unique complexities that different coffee varieties can bring to the cup.

Rooted in traditions that date back over a century, Hacienda Sonora has maintained its role as a leader in innovative coffee processing and the mixed planting of coffee varieties. Alberto Guardia and his son Diego oversee the management of Sonora’s 197 acres, where each coffee variety is strictly separated into individual growing plots. For the father-and-son team, maintaining portioned and easily identifiable lots until export is standard practice. Hacienda Sonora consists of 75% coffee trees, 20% trees and forest, and 5% roads. Remarkably, nearly 50 acres of the farm is a dedicated forest reserve. The property generates its own energy and uses a river that flows through the land as its primary water source for irrigation.

Hacienda Sonora Yellow Honey Microlot is hand-picked and expertly pulped to preserve 70% of the mucilage. Following a floater separation process, the coffee is patio dried for 9 days using varying thickness layers depending on the day and then warehoused at 14% humidity for 3 days. It is subsequently mechanically dried to ensure better uniformity, with temperatures carefully maintained below 35°C (95°F). Once the coffee reaches a humidity level of 10.5%, it is left to rest in parchment for two months before undergoing weight, screen, density, and color sorting prior to packaging in Grainpro bags for export.