HACIENDA SONORA

I remember cupping their first natural processed stuff in 2015 and most of the co-cuppers in the room were turned off by the omni present fermented and funky flavors. We loved it immediately and bought another great Villa Sarchi lot in 2017. Now it’s back, and not with one but two new (experimental) clean cup lots.

On the farm:

HACIENDA SONORA is located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, at the foot of the world renowned, Poas Volcano. Coffee grows in an environment surrounded by exotic trees and other vegetation, providing a great condition for quality, as well as improving the chemistry of the already naturally rich volcanic soil. Thanks to the farm’s diverse ecosystem, many different species of birds and animals seek refuge in our land.

Sonora process all of their coffee using the honey and natural methods. Both of these methods require a lot more work and care than the traditional fully washed. However, it all makes sense when you taste the results in the cup.   Besides a difference in the cup, these processing techniques save great amounts of water by using the honey and the natural processes. Using the honey method saves more than 3 gallons of water per pound of coffee. Natural processed coffee doesn’t need any water.

All of the energy consumed by the farm is 100% renewable energy harvested on the farm. The green energy is harvested from a natural water stream with a special turbine, known as a Pelton Wheel.

The Guardia’s also provide free accommodation for each worker and their families at the farm’s houses. For each house, Hacienda Sonora covers for the cost of water, trash allocation, and a portion of their electricity. Every employee fully enjoys the benefits of the Costa Rica Health Insurance system

On the varieties:

SARCHIMOR: is a ‘family’ of varieties that are hybrids of a coffee leaf rust (CLR) resistant hybrid from Timor-Leste and Villa Sarchi (a natural Bourbon mutation, like Caturra and Pacas). Sarchimor is a good mix of the flavor profile from Bourbon (via Villa Sarchi, a close genetic relative to Bourbon) and the resilience of the disease-resistant hybrid from Timor-Leste. There are several well-known Sarchimor varieties, including Marsellesa and Parainema.

It’s the first Sarchimor coffee at Caffenation ever!

CATURRA: a coffee variety know for its short, compact stature, is a natural mutation of Bourbon. It was first discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil around 1915. The variety is the result of mutation in a single gene of our Bourbon plant that made the plant smaller but still high yielding. As it spread, Caturra enabled higher-density coffee cultivation.

As a direct-descendant of Bourbon, Caturra is well known for delicate and complex flavors that are often floral and fruity. At the same time, its close relationship with Bourbon means Caturra is very susceptible to coffee leaf rust (CLR) and other common coffee diseases and pests. As a result, Caturra was bred with CLR-resistant hybrids from Timor-Leste, producing the Catimor and its subsequent varieties.

And now you are eager to know how this tastes? 

We have freshly roasted stuff for you on our shelf in the bars (or on the espresso grinder soon) or online.....Enjoy!