Costa Rica - Poas, Central Valley - Hacienda Sonora - Red Honey Natural

• Country: Costa Rica
• Region: Poas - Central Valley
  
• Farm: Hacienda Sonora
• Varietal: Catuai
• Process: Red Honey Natural
• Altitude: 1350 MASL
• Cupping Notes: Mandarin Orange, Brown Sugar, Cranberry, Black Tea, Red Fruit, Baking Spices

Description:

Hacienda Sonora is a family-owned POWERHOUSE in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, nestled at the foot of the Poás Volcano. Spanning about 100 hectares, the estate combines shade-grown coffee, wild forest reserve, and historic sugarcane fields, and is committed to sustainable, biodiverse farming. Under the Guardia family — historically led by Alberto and now co-managed with his son Diego — Sonora focuses on quality and environmental stewardship, using 100% renewable hydroelectric energy, fair labor practices, and on-site micromilling to produce Honey and Natural processed microlots with their distinct flavor profiles.

The Red Honey process begins with hand-picked cherries that are depulped so the skin is removed, but the sticky, sugar-rich mucilage remains attached. The beans are then dried slowly on patios for several days (often 9 days), frequently turned to ensure even drying, before being finished in their dry mill under carefully controlled conditions that never exceed low temperatures (under 35 °C) to preserve flavor integrity. This method yields a coffee with a distinctive profile — typically sweeter and more fruit-forward than a washed coffee, while retaining more clarity and acidity than a fully natural-processed bean — offering a balance of smooth body, sweetness and vibrant, sometimes tropical, fruit or caramel notes.