Costa Rica — Volcán Azul — Gesha (Yellow Honey)

Location: Alajuela, Central Valley, Costa Rica
Producer: Alejo Castro
Process Station: Volcán Azul
Harvest: March 2025
Received: July 2025

Variety: Gesha
Altitude: 1600–1650 masl
Process: Yellow Honey
Roast: Light Roast

Tasting Notes

🌸 Florals • 🍋 Candied Lemon • 🍬 Nougat

Sweetness: ●●●●○
Body: ●●●○○
Acidity: ●●●○○

Intro

This Yellow Honey Gesha from Volcán Azul is an expressive and elegant coffee that highlights both the refined character of the Gesha variety and the distinct terroir of Costa Rica’s Central Valley. Intensely aromatic yet beautifully balanced, the cup delivers a vibrant citrus-driven acidity wrapped in soft sweetness and a polished, confectionary finish.

The Producer

Volcán Azul is a legendary Costa Rican coffee estate located in Alajuela and overseen by Don Alejo Castro, a fifth-generation coffee producer whose family history on this land dates back to the late 1800s. Alejo is widely respected for his deep agronomic knowledge and his forward-thinking approach to farming, blending tradition with continuous experimentation.

The estate cultivates a wide range of cultivars, including Catuai, Caturra, Obata, Villa Sarchi, and Gesha. Each season, Alejo propagates new varieties with the goal of increasing genetic diversity and refining quality, making Volcán Azul one of Costa Rica’s most dynamic and innovative farms.

The Process

This Gesha was processed using the Yellow Honey method, where the coffee cherries are depulped but retain a controlled amount of mucilage during drying. This approach enhances sweetness and mouthfeel while preserving clarity and brightness. The result is a coffee that bridges the gap between washed precision and honey-processed richness, allowing both varietal florality and layered sweetness to shine.

The Cup

In the cup, this Gesha opens with delicate 🌸 floral aromatics, followed by a lively, refined acidity reminiscent of 🍋 candied lemon. As it cools, a soft, creamy sweetness emerges, evoking 🍬 nougat and lending the coffee a rounded, elegant texture. The body is light to medium, the acidity structured and articulate, and the finish clean, sweet, and lingering.

An expressive yet composed Gesha that showcases the craftsmanship of Volcán Azul and the timeless elegance of Costa Rican coffee.

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 8-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.