This month we have an archival selection from a remarkable coffee producer, Roger Urena, whose Santa Teresa project, in Costa Rica’s Tarrazu region, is a true labor of love. This field blend of gesha and an Ethiopian landrace variety, produced on the San Pablo plot that Roger manages with his son Jose, is a fascinating exploration of plant genetics - presented through the lens of meticulously executed honey processing.

Many of the microlots produced at Santa Teresa are honey processed, as is common throughout Costa Rica. In contrast to a wet processed coffee, where some combination of fermentation and washing is employed to break down and ultimately remove the sugary mucilage that remains on the surface of coffee seeds after the fruit has been removed, honey processed coffee is dried immediately after pulping, with some amount of the mucilage left to dry on the coffee seeds. Skilled producers like Roger are able to carefully set up their pulping machines to leave more or less mucilage on the coffee prior to drying. A “white honey” indicates that almost all of the mucilage has been scraped off prior to drying, while a “red honey” or “black honey” would indicate that more mucilage was left on the seeds - which oxidizes to a darker hue during the drying process. This gesha-Ethiopia field blend is described by the producer as a “yellow honey”. After careful cherry selection to ensure perfect ripeness, the fruit rests in a tank overnight before being passed through the mechanical pulping machine, which is set to remove about 75% of the mucilage before drying.

Three years later, we still find the delicate elegance we remember from this coffee: Layered aromatics of violet, fresh apricot, and raw honey introduce a cup profile offering a delightfully creamy mouthfeel and enticing flavors of honeysuckle, vanilla, and white peach.