Introduction:Delve into the honey-processed Gesha coffee beans from La Loma Estate in Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region, exploring everything from its cultivation at 1950 meters above sea level to the complex flavor profile it delivers in the cup. This article analyzes the key factors that helped it rank 9th in the COE competition, providing a detailed flavor profile, insights into its processing method, and practical brewing references to help you better understand the potential of this high-end specialty bean.
Located in the Bonito area of Leon Cortes Llano within the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica, La Loma Estate is part of the Don Mayo Micro Mill family and has been in operation for over twenty years. Sitting at an altitude of 1950 meters, this coffee farm is not only a symbol of the family business but also earned 88.66 points and ranked 9th in the 2019 COE competition thanks to its refined honey-processed Gesha variety.
The coffee-growing journey at La Loma began on what was once barren land. Through years of soil and leaf nutrient analysis, the farm gradually established a scientific planting and management system. This data-driven approach fosters robust coffee tree growth and produces fruits of consistent quality with outstanding cupping potential. The estate has maintained a healthy ecological balance over the long term, yielding not only premium coffee but also picturesque farmland scenery.
During the harvest season, La Loma insists on selecting only coffee cherries at optimal ripeness, with picking carried out by a skilled team with whom they have collaborated for over fifteen years. These experienced harvesters can accurately judge the ripeness of red cherries, ensuring that only the most desirable fruits enter the subsequent processing stages. The picked cherries are immediately transported to the estate’s own Don Mayo micro-processing facility for rigorous grading and meticulous processing.
This award-winning coffee bean is processed using the honey method, a semi-washed technique that retains more mucilage than traditional washed processing, imparting greater sweetness and complexity to the coffee. During drying, the processing facility precisely controls temperature and ventilation to ensure even fermentation of the mucilage while avoiding the risks of over-fermentation. This processing method demands a high level of technical skill and environmental control, and is one of the keys to how La Loma highlights the unique characteristics of the Gesha variety.
When cupping this La Loma honey-processed Gesha, you can discern a distinct multi-layered flavor profile. A base of honey-like sweetness is layered with bright cherry acidity, the rich texture of milk chocolate, and the mellow tones of vanilla and cocoa. The mid-palate introduces blackberry and molasses notes, providing a deep fruity backbone, while the finish bursts with playful candy-like brightness and the crispness of citrusy grapefruit-like notes, ultimately resolving into the elegant aftertaste of dark cherry.
In terms of acidity, this coffee exhibits a bright character reminiscent of sweet oranges, supported by moderate tartaric acid to form a vibrant yet non-sharp acidity structure. The overall mouthfeel is described as elegant, syrupy, and extremely balanced, maintaining consistent quality from the first sip to the lingering finish.
For home brewers looking to prepare this specialty coffee, it is recommended to use beans roasted to a medium-light level, ground to a size similar to that of fine sugar granules. For pour over, the water temperature should be controlled between 90–92°C, with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15 to 1:16. When using a multi-pour method, a three-step infusion approach can be employed: start with a 30% bloom pour, then proceed with steady pouring to reach the target volume, paying attention to maintaining a stable flow rate and level coffee bed. This will better showcase the complex flavor layers of this coffee.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
