Costa Rica Finca Bernina Red Honey Geisha SHB 2023

Finca Bernina Red Honey Geisha

Located on the foothills of Chirripo, the highest mountain peak in Costa Rica, Finca Bernina is owned and operated by the Homberger family, a third-generation coffee farming family. Bernina’s 460-hectares are well diversified dedicating 80 hectares to shade-grown coffee, 100 to cattle, 50 to sugar cane and 230 to forestry. A small portion of Finca Bernina is dedicated to growing the delicate, Gesha (aka – Geisha) varietal, yielding this exquisite micro-lot.

Geisha (Gesha) Coffee Variety

Geisha is a prized cultivar, which is renowned for its flavor and, often, for its eye-popping price. Originally named Gesha (for the town of Gesha in Ethiopia) the rare coffee is also known as Geisha.

The highly sought-after Geisha cup profile is often associated with bright citrus, honeysuckle sweetness, and delicate tea-like and floral notes. However, the cultivation and harvesting of Geisha coffees involves special care and attention. Geisha coffee trees tend to have low yields and can be susceptible to leaf rust. The unique flavor profile, in combination with low-yielding, temperamental trees, make Geisha – or Gesha - a specialty-coffee treasure.

Red Honey Processed Coffee

The honey process started in Costa Rica and has since spread to other coffee origins across the globe. In the red honey coffee processing method, more than 50% of the mucilage - or coffee honey - of the coffee cherry that coats the parchment is left on during the drying stage. This factor gives the coffee a sweetness that resembles a natural; however, honey processing tends to be less volatile than natural processed coffees. Honey processing is also less water-intensive than fully washed coffees making it a more environmentally-friendly method.

Honey processing shares many characteristics with the pulp natural process - common in Brazil - and the wet-hulled method (aka - giling basah), which is common in Indonesian coffees. Unique to honey processing are the levels of honey, for example: white honey process; yellow honey process; red honey process and black honey process. The amount of mucilage left on the bean dictates the level (or color) of honey.

Costa Rica Unroasted Coffee Beans

Costa Rica coffees sell at a premium. The country has a reputation for delivering high quality and innovation – a winning combination. Costa Rica’s quality socio-economic infrastructure programs, such as universal healthcare, high education levels, sophisticated agronomy and research, and well-regulated agricultural sustainability programs, certainly contribute to the high cost of coffee. Additionally, when coffee roasters buy Costa Rican green coffee, producers receive nearly 80% of the FOB value, guaranteed. Read more in our Costa Rica Green Coffee Origin Report.