5/28/2016

Hacienda Sonora ~ Black Honey

Beans: Hacienda Sonora ~Black Honey
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: Alajuela, Central Valley, Costa Rica 
Grade: SHB
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,000-1,300m
Variety: Villa Sarchi, Caturra, Catuai
Process: Black Honey

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Bold, nutty, high aroma, chocolaty, high tone hazel nuts, thin layer of cacao hidden, sweets, lightly caramel, condense milk, mellow, calming, shady, orange skin, medium mouthfeel, mild texture, bright, soothing, complex, deep clean sweetness, lightly herbal, lightly cinnamon, smoky acidity, syrupy sweetness, rice syrup, linden honey, deep bitterness and clear acidity, lemon, a touch of almond butter, muscovado sugar, matured blood orange, tangy bitterness as orange skin on bottom layer, multi layer of muscovado like sweetness and smoky bitterness, clear bitterness and almond flavor as a long lasting aftertaste.
Flavor profile changes quickly with cup temperature.  Espresso adds high tone citric acidity, but kills complexity of flavor.  

【Note】
Central Valley is the origin of Costa Rica coffee,  the chemistry of the naturally nutrient rich volcanic soil nature by Volcán Poás.  Blessed with natural forests, exotic trees and vegetation,  Hacienda Sonora grows their crops in perfect shades of diverse ecosystem.  All of the energy consumed by the farm is 100% renewable energy, hydroelectricity, harvested on the farm. This energy supplies power to the micro-coffee mill they own.   Hacienda Sonora process beans with their own Micro-mills, picking and processing only the red cherries.  

5/24/2016

Finca Las Lajas ~ Black Honey

Beans: Finca Las Lajas ~ Black Honey
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area:  Sabanilla de Alajuela, Central Valley, Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,300-1,600m
Variety: Yellow Catura, Red catuai, Villa sarchi, Catura, SL28 
Process: Black honey
※ BRIX: 15 above, Organically grown

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium light, clean, fruity, grape, touch of winy feeling, red, Cabernet Sauvignon, mellow, blackcurrant, sheer eucalyptus, a touch of mint, soothing, light and clean, complex but light and refined clean aroma, full bodied, rich mouth-feel, soothing texture, clean, mellow but juicy, light weight, sheer acidity, rhubarb, well balanced sweetness, clean but layered sweetness, musucovado sugar, fruity touch, gooseberry, blackcurrant, Concord-like, touch of mint, green, light sheer sweetness and fruity-ness mouth-feel as a long lasting aftertaste.


【Note】
The Chacón Family has been growing coffee at Las Lajas for over 80 years and became organically certified farm in 2000, one of only a handful of farms in Costa Rica to be officially certified organic at that time.  Oscar Chacón, the third generation of this farm, began organic farming 30 yrs ago due to his loss of his father cased by pesticide.  At Finca Las Lajas, cherries are matured on tree and maturity are assessed by BRIX.  This technique enables them to manage stability in quality as well as flavor.