Volcan Azul - Gesha, Red Honey

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: Red Honey
• Notes: Persimmon, roasted walnut, caramel

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

After measuring the Brix content, the cherries areharvested. Floaters are separated, and the cherries aredepulped without washing off the mucilage. The coffee isthen placed on the drying patio and left to rest for oneday, allowing the mucilage to adhere to the bean. From 8a.m. to 2 p.m., the coffee is stirred, and afterward, it iscovered with plastic to maintain temperature overnight.This process continues for about 11 days until the beansreach a moisture content of 10.5–11%. The coffee thenrests for 1.5–2 months before preparation for export,which involves hulling and sorting by size, density, andcolor.

Coffee can be dried using various methods, including patiodrying, parabolic raised beds, and mechanical dryers, eachsignificantly affecting the coffee's structure, density, and shelflife.At Volcan Azul, different drying techniques are employed basedon the lot size: patio drying and mechanical dryers are used forlarger batches, while raised beds are reserved for micro-lots.Patio drying, conducted at 1,500 meters above sea level, benefitsfrom cooler temperatures that slow the drying process andenhance the beans' aromatic development. In 2021, Volcan Azul invested in expanding its dryinginfrastructure, doubling the size of the drying patio and addingtwo new mechanical dryers.