Costa Rica — Oscar & Luis Monge La Lia Micro-Mill Yellow Typica (Yellow Honey)

Tastes Like — 🍍 Pineapple • 💜 Lavender • 🍑 Peach

DETAILS

• Producer: Oscar & Luis Monge
• Region: Tarrazú, Costa Rica
• Varietal: Yellow Typica
• Process: Yellow Honey
• Altitude: 1,940 MASL

INTRO

An exclusive lot from La Lia Micro-Mill in Tarrazú — one of Apollon's Gold's most enduring relationships, bringing this Yellow Typica to market every year since 2021. What began as an extraordinarily small 23kg lot produced for a Costa Rica Brewers Cup champion has grown steadily as the trees have taken root, and this year's harvest is the most expressive yet. In the cup: juicy pineapple, vibrant lavender florals, and a sweet peach finish.

THE PRODUCER

La Lia Micro-Mill is run by Oscar and Luis Monge in Tarrazú — one of Costa Rica's most celebrated coffee-growing regions, known for its high altitude, rich volcanic soils, and the exceptional clarity and acidity it imparts to the cup. The Yellow Typica trees behind this lot were originally cultivated to produce a competition-grade coffee for a Costa Rica Brewers Cup champion, and the lot size reflects how carefully the Monge family have nurtured them — growing from just 23kg in 2021 to over 100kg in 2025 as the trees have established and flourished.

This year's harvest is notably expressive, with vibrant florals and a rich, lively acidity that draws comparisons to high-grown Geisha — a sign, as the producers note, that the trees have truly rooted themselves to the land.

THE PROCESS

The Yellow Honey process at La Lia Micro-Mill involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed while a portion of the mucilage is retained on the bean ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Coffee dried with mucilage intact, allowing the sugars to slowly integrate into the bean 🔄 Regular turning — Carefully managed throughout drying to ensure even fermentation and consistent flavour development

Retaining the mucilage during drying is the defining step — the sugars and fruit character of the yellow honey process contribute directly to the sweetness and floral complexity that make this lot so distinctive, while the high altitude of Tarrazú preserves the bright, juicy acidity that runs through every cup.

THE CUP

A truly special exclusive lot from one of Costa Rica's finest micro-mills — year on year this Yellow Typica grows in stature, and the 2025 harvest is its most compelling chapter yet. Pineapple vibrancy, lavender florality, and a lingering peach sweetness at 1,940 MASL: a coffee that rewards the patient and the curious in equal measure.

Flavour Notes

🍍 Pineapple 💜 Lavender 🍑 Peach