Farm: Hacienda Sonora
Region: Central Valley
Elevation: 1100 to 1600 masl
Varietal: Red Bourbon
Process: Washed
Tasting Notes: Confectionary sweetness, pink lady apple, nectarine and silky
Processing: Coffee cherry is pulped to remove the outer skin. The sticky mucilage is exposed and left to dry on the parchment
About:
Hacienda Sonora has seen many changes throughout its 100 years of operation. Owned and operated by Alberto (father) and Diego Guardia in the region of Central Valley (1100 to 1600 masl) the estate initially cultivated sugar cane as its major crop and source of income. Thanks to Alberto and Diego, Sonora has since been reinvigorated with a direction; speciality coffee. We are privileged to work with Alberto and Diego and present to you the Red Bourbon varietal via three processing methods - honey, washed and natural!
Diego Guardia is the new generation of coffee producer and exporter. When he’s not on the farm, you will see Diego ripping his finest cut-backs in the surf and strumming the guitar. Costa Rica is as well known for its fine speciality coffees, as it is for amazing warm water breaks.
Diego is a university graduate in mechanical engineering. Now at the helm of the farm, Diego has created his own pre-drying system for processing coffee in all methods. This is similar to a large cooling tray from a coffee roaster. The premise is having the hot air blowing from the bottom of the tray to dry the cherries in their initial phase. The constant rotation of the tray also helps with the drying uniformity. This process helps save up to two days of drying which would traditionally be done on a concrete patio. After our trip to Costa Rica this year, Proud Mary will reinvest into the lab, the aim being to fortify some strong facilities for research and development on the farm. This includes sample roasting and quality grinders for roasted sample evaluation.
