Costa Rica – Volcán Azul Typica & Geisha Warm Red Honey

Origin: Costa Rica
Region: Poás Volcano, West Valley
Farm: Volcán Azul
Producer: Alejo Castro Kahle
Varieties: Typica & Geisha
Process: Warm Red Honey
Altitude: 1,650–1,700 MASL
Harvest: January–March 2025
Arrival: June 2025
Roasted for: Filter

Tastes Like
🍍 Pineapple – bright, juicy tropical acidity with a refreshing tang
🥭 Mango – rich, sweet body with smooth tropical depth
🍊 Navel Orange – vibrant citrus sweetness and a clean, sunny finish

In the Cup
This Warm Red Honey blend of Typica and Geisha from Volcán Azul is a beautiful balance between tradition and innovation. It’s vibrant yet elegant, opening with florals and citrus before melting into layers of ripe fruit and creamy sweetness. The Typica brings structure and depth, while the Geisha contributes ethereal florals and clarity — a truly harmonious combination that feels classic and modern at once.

About the Farm
The story of Volcán Azul begins in the early 19th century, when the Castro-Jiménez family of Costa Rica and the Kahle family of Chiapas, Mexico, established a coffee legacy that would last generations. Today, Alejo Castro Kahle, fifth-generation producer, continues that tradition on the slopes of Poás Volcano, where volcanic soils and cool highland air create ideal conditions for cultivating exceptional coffee.

The farm is a model of environmental and agricultural sustainability — more than just producing world-class coffees, Volcán Azul is deeply committed to biodiversity and reforestation. Large portions of the estate are preserved as natural rainforest, helping protect native species and offset carbon emissions. Through these practices, the Castro family ensures their farming legacy coexists harmoniously with Costa Rica’s lush ecosystem.

About the Process
Alejo’s Warm Red Honey process represents an innovative twist on a traditional method. This lot was produced from Typica trees in the Lima plot, a section of the farm shaded beneath ancient tropical forest canopy.

After cherries were selectively hand-picked at peak ripeness and floated to remove underripes, they were placed in fermentation tanks exposed to direct sunlight during the dry season. Maintaining temperatures between 25–30°C, the cherries underwent a 5-day controlled fermentation, with constant monitoring of Brix levels, pH, and environmental conditions. A portion of the mucilage was intentionally retained to enhance body and sweetness.

Following fermentation, the parchment was sun-dried on raised beds for 11 days, then finished with 8 hours of slow mechanical drying for perfect uniformity and stability.

Why We Love It
Volcán Azul never stops innovating — and this Warm Red Honey Typica & Geisha is one of Alejo’s most exciting experiments yet. The meticulous process enhances the natural sweetness of Typica while preserving the Geisha’s delicate floral character, resulting in a refined, fruit-forward, and honey-textured cup.

It’s a coffee that bridges heritage and experimentation, expressing the best of Costa Rican craftsmanship and the passion of one of the country’s most visionary producers.

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.