Costa Rica Volcan Azul H1
Costa Rica Volcan Azul H1 Red Honey
I am probably sharing this coffee too early, but coffee supplies have been a challenge this year and I don’t want to dump all of our new coffees all at once! Compared with moving coffee from other corners of the world, Volcan Azul has been a breeze this year.
Everything about Volcan Azul is easy for us. Year after year, the quality is dependable and Alejo always offers us a broad range of incredible coffees. We do like to buy different processes of the same varietal. This year we have got excited about the H1 varietal, and have it in different forms. We are not going to offer them all at once as I am concerned that we will sell this too quickly and I really like having this coffee here. Later in the year, we have three premium nano-lots from Alejo, a new F1 varietal and more. I can hardly wait to share them.
I hope you are half as keen on Volcan Azul (as I am) and the ethos that comes with 5 generations and 150 years of producing coffee.
Farm Stats
(Top Trumps if you prefer)
Farmer: Alejo Castro
Farm; Volcan Azul
Area: Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Established: 1850, 5th generation farm.
Hectares: 55
Altitude: 1540-1720 Meters above sea level
Varietal: H1 (Timor Hybrid x Villa Sarchi F1 hybrid) crossed with Rume Sudan Ethiopian Landrace Varietal.
Process: Red Honey (in processing terms this is a cross between a washed coffee, as most of the pulp is removed and a pulped natural, as the beans with mucilage, are dried on a patio, however, it is how the coffee is dried, humidity and temperature that defines the honey colour outcome. The deeper the colour, the more fruit and body, generally speaking.)
Roast: One Roast
Cup Potential 🥣
Aromatics: Rich dark Chocolate | Body:Medium-creamy | Acidity: Both Citric and Sweet |
In the cup, momentarily, this starts off as a big chocolatey number with a touch of fruit in the background. As the coffee cools, it sweetens and ripens, like red grapes, white chocolate sweetness with a grapefruit finish.
In the final phase of cooling the fruit dries and the cup reverts to chocolatey, with a sparkling acidity (that just makes me smile) and a lingering grapefruit finish.
Filter Recipe: I have been enjoying this at 60g per litre in batch brew and V60. It has been complex and satisfying.
Espresso Potential.
Recipe: 17g of coffee into 34g of espresso liquid for milk-based drinks. 94C and above There is so much soluble that I didn’t want for more. 27-30 seconds
9oz Milk-based drink: Malty, Dark Chocolate, sweet.
6oz Milk-based drink: Malty, Dark chocolate, underlying ripe fruit.
Espresso: 17.5-18g 45-60g 30-35 seconds
If there was a thing called chocolate oil, this would be it, in the darkest form, some ripe fruit sugars and. grapefruit finish.
If you fancy sharing your brews with us, there is always JG Instagram
