Volcan Azul - Gesha, Anaerobic Natural

KIYALO – Citrus fruit flavours with notes of orchard fruits and floral teas

• Variety: Gesha
• Altitude: 1500 mamsl
• Region: West valley, Costa Rica 
• Producer: Alejo Castro 
• Farm: Volcan Azul 
• Process: Anaerobic Natural 
• Notes: Pomelo, White Peach, White Wine

Volcan Azul

Volcan Azul, owned by Alejo Castro, is a distinguishedcoffee farm located in the highlands of Costa Rica.Alejo, whose family has a long tradition in coffeecultivation, has dedicated himself to elevating the farm'squality and environmental responsibility. Under hismanagement, Volcan Azul has become renowned for itsmeticulous approach to coffee production, includingadvanced drying and processing methods, as well as thecultivation of unique coffee varieties.

The history of Volcan Azul and Alejo’s family is deeply intertwined with the development of Costa Rica’s coffee industry. The family’s journey began in the early 19th century with Alejo Castro Jiménez in Costa Rica and Wilhelm Kahle in the south of Mexico after acquiring land in the fertile highlands of Costa Rica. Today this place is referred to as Hacienda Colima, a farm still owned and operated by Alejo.

Alejo has continued the family tradition of excellence incoffee cultivation by modernizing practices whilehonoring the rich heritage of his ancestors. Through theuse of advanced techniques such as meticulous soilmanagement and innovative processing methods, thefarm has set a benchmark in the industry.

Gesha Variety

The gesha coffee variety, was first introduced to thecoffee institute of Costa Rica in 1950. At Volcan Azul,the seeds were purchased at the institute and somedirectly from Panama. The trees now thrive at a baseelevation of 1,650m above sea level for this particular lotand can go up to 1800m. Alejo first planted the variety in2012 and had to wait 4 years in order to obtain the firstharvest. In 2017, Volcan Azul was awarded thepresidential award at the cup of excellence for theirgesha lot. Since then, they have competed at other cupsof excellence, winning a total of 5 international awards.Alejo’s careful cultivation and commitment tomaintaining the gesha’s heritage contribute to thefarm’s reputation for producing some of the finest geshavarieties in the specialty market.

Processing Details

For this anaerobic natural-processed gesha, the processbegins with picking the cherries at their optimal stage,which are then washed at the mill and sorted to removefloaters. The beans are transported to shadedfermentation tanks located in the forest, where Alejointroduces natural yeasts cultivated on the farm. Duringfermentation, various factors such as temperature,pressure, pH levels, and brix (sugar content) are closelymonitored. This meticulous control ensures the final pHlevel of the lot is 3.29, and the final brix level is 17.

Coffee can be dried using various methods, including patiodrying, parabolic raised beds, and mechanical dryers. The chosendrying technique significantly impacts the final product'sstructure, density, and shelf life.At Volcan Azul, patio drying and mechanical dryers aregenerally utilized for larger batches, while raised beds areprimarily reserved for micro-lots. Notably, patio drying occurs atan elevation of 1,500 meters above sea level, where the coolertemperatures slow the process, allowing the beans' aromas tofully develop.In 2021, Volcan Azul made a substantial investment in theirdrying infrastructure, doubling the size of their drying patio andadding two new mechanical dryers. For this particular lot, thecoffee beans were dried under the sun on patios for 12 days untilthey reached a humidity level of 11.7%.