The Coffee: Costa Rica Geisha
Region: Central Valley
Processing: Natural Anaerobic
Varietal: Geisha
Tasting: Grapefruit, Raspberry, Brown Sugar
The Importer: Bodhi Leaf
Bodhi Leaf Coffee importers are the OG importers for Makeworth Coffee's jump into roasting. Based out of Anaheim, CA Bodhi Leaf is one of the most elite focused and quality multi-origin importers out there. Time and time again, they have provided us coffees that hit the spot as the "wow this coffee is good" feeling. We hope you've enjoyed (and continue to enjoy!) their incredible work helping us source some amazing coffees.
About the Coffee:
Hacienda Sonora has been part of the specialty scene since its early days, always leading in innovation through its various processing methods and plant varietals. The farm has more than 20 varieties in production, “Geisha” being one of them. Geisha coffee is celebrated for its vibrant floral and jasmine-like aromas, bright acidity, and complex notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and bergamot. Hacienda Sonora Estate has been in Alberto’s family for more than a century. In the 1970s when Alberto took over the farm, he began planting most of the land with coffee, and shortly after it became the main source of income. In 1999 with historically low coffee prices, Alberto invested in a mill to be able to maximize his quality, and to do so he became a pioneer in alternative processing techniques such as Honey and Naturals. He also became an early example of how different varietals could create different levels of complexity in the cup. In 2011, Alberto’s son, Diego, joined the operation as co-manager. Nowadays, Sonora has more than 20 different varieties of plants in 80 hectares of coffee (+ 20 hectares of forest reserve) and is known to be a welcoming place for coffee lovers. Processing begins with the picking, where the coffee cherries are hand-picked and undergo floater separation. After 36 hours of fermentation, the cherries are dried with the fruit still intact, further enhancing their sweetness and fruity notes. They are then dried on a patio for nine days. After this initial drying, the beans rest for three days in a warehouse at 14% humidity. They are subsequently mechanically dried for better uniformity, ensuring temperatures do not exceed 35°C. Once the coffee reaches a humidity level of 10.5%, it rests in parchment for two months before being sorted by weight, screen size, density, and color.
