The whole team was pretty blown away when this beautiful honey geisha from Gonzalo Hernandez of Coffea Diversa came across our cupping table; we weren’t surprised, however, given that this is the third truly outstanding lot from Gonzalo that we contracted from him this season. It’s everything we would want in a Costa Rican geisha—boasting a super aromatic, floral- and melon-forward cup as well as an abundance of only the most refined representation of terroir in the final cup. When brewed, we taste sweet, juicy, orange cantaloupe which blends and compliments an unmistakable tropical, ripe mango quality; this abundance of fruit is further complicated by delicate, perfumed peony florals—veritably a unique and pretty coffee.
Coffea Diversa is a super unique project, initially begun by Gonzalo Hernandez in the Central Valley region of Costa Rica in 2004. With over 800 specimens of different varietals, many of which are commercially cultivated on their farm, Coffea Diversa not only possesses the largest private collection of living coffee varietals and cultivars, but grows the most diverse range of varietals of any other farm that we’re aware of. For this reason, Coffea Diversa is the only farm in the world to commercially grow many varietals that can be found among their offerings. Given the diversity and scope of varietals they cultivate, they often refer to themselves not as a coffee farm, but rather as a coffee garden. How Gonzalo manages to keep on top of such a wide array of different varietal lots while attaining the uncommonly high quality that he does is frankly a big mystery to us, but we applaud and thank him for his care and intentionality which manifest directly in just how good we find his coffees to be. The lots we purchased from Gonzalo were all grown in the Puntarenas region between 1.500 and 1.700 masl. All coffee on the farm is grown in shade provided by cedar, avocado, and banana trees.
Geisha is one of the most prized varietals of coffee due to its absolutely exceptional quality, and particularly intense, even perfumed florality, sweetness, and clarity of flavor. Geisha is an Ethiopian heirloom varietal, having been first identified in the 1930s in the forests of Gori Gesha. The varietal first attracted global attention in 2005, when the Peterson family of Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, Panama entered a lot of geisha grown on their estate into the Best of Panama competition, and won. Ever since, geisha has come to enjoy the status of the most lauded varietal of coffee in commercial cultivation, and is heavily represented among winning lots in Cup of Excellence competitions annually.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
The whole team was pretty blown away when this beautiful honey geisha from Gonzalo Hernandez of Coffea Diversa came across our cupping table; we weren’t surprised, however, given that this is the third truly outstanding lot from Gonzalo that we contracted from him this season. It’s everything we would want in a Costa Rican geisha—boasting a super aromatic, floral- and melon-forward cup as well as an abundance of only the most refined representation of terroir in the final cup. When brewed, we taste sweet, juicy, orange cantaloupe which blends and compliments an unmistakable tropical, ripe mango quality; this abundance of fruit is further complicated by delicate, perfumed peony florals—veritably a unique and pretty coffee.
Coffea Diversa is a super unique project, initially begun by Gonzalo Hernandez in the Central Valley region of Costa Rica in 2004. With over 800 specimens of different varietals, many of which are commercially cultivated on their farm, Coffea Diversa not only possesses the largest private collection of living coffee varietals and cultivars, but grows the most diverse range of varietals of any other farm that we’re aware of. For this reason, Coffea Diversa is the only farm in the world to commercially grow many varietals that can be found among their offerings. Given the diversity and scope of varietals they cultivate, they often refer to themselves not as a coffee farm, but rather as a coffee garden. How Gonzalo manages to keep on top of such a wide array of different varietal lots while attaining the uncommonly high quality that he does is frankly a big mystery to us, but we applaud and thank him for his care and intentionality which manifest directly in just how good we find his coffees to be. The lots we purchased from Gonzalo were all grown in the Puntarenas region between 1.500 and 1.700 masl. All coffee on the farm is grown in shade provided by cedar, avocado, and banana trees.
Geisha is one of the most prized varietals of coffee due to its absolutely exceptional quality, and particularly intense, even perfumed florality, sweetness, and clarity of flavor. Geisha is an Ethiopian heirloom varietal, having been first identified in the 1930s in the forests of Gori Gesha. The varietal first attracted global attention in 2005, when the Peterson family of Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, Panama entered a lot of geisha grown on their estate into the Best of Panama competition, and won. Ever since, geisha has come to enjoy the status of the most lauded varietal of coffee in commercial cultivation, and is heavily represented among winning lots in Cup of Excellence competitions annually.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
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