Las Lajas, Black Honey

Concentrated flavours of red grape & black currant with a lingering finish.

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The ‘honey’ processing method, somewhere between the washed and natural techniques, has a wide variety of approaches and resulting flavours, however the Chacon family have it down to a science. This black honey offering from their Las Lajas farm is the most complex of their offerings. The semi-pulped cherries are left un-turned on the drying beds for the first day and then only turned once a day thereafter, forcing the residual fruit to dry slowly. The result is a concentrated brew of red grape and black currant with a lingering finish.

Hint: try alongside sibling coffee Las Lajas, Red Honey.

Note: coupons are not applicable to this coffee.

--- More information ~~~ Nestled in the foothills of the Poas Volcano, Francisca Chacon and her husband Oscar run Las Lajas, a farm that has been in their family for over 80 years. Their land is located in Costa Rica’s central valley micro-region of Sabanilla where they practice traditional agriculture using organic materials for fertilization. With nutrient rich volcanic soils, altitudes between 1300–1500 masl and a strong focus on organic practices, environmental impact and attention to detail; this family run farm has been able to produce some outstanding and award winning washed, honeyed and natural coffees. Coffees are dried on raised African beds, patios and in greenhouses. This coffee is a 'black' honey, as opposed to the Chacon's white, yellow and red honey coffees.

It is dried with an intentional slowness in mind. In fact, the first day on the raised beds it is not moved at all. It rests with all its mucilage intact simply concentrating in flavour as it sits. From then on after it turned over or raked once a day, but that is it. All in all, this coffee could take up to three weeks to dry, like that of a natural. On the cupping table this coffee sets itself apart from the rest. It's interesting and intriguing with a complexity and flavour saturation that is not normal. While not for everyone, if you are curious to try something new or expand your idea of coffee, most definitely give this black honey a taste! ===

Produced by Francisca and Oscar Chacon in the Sabanilla region of Costa Rica, this Las Lajas Black Honey lot represents a meticulous approach to post-harvest processing. The Black Honey method is a labor-intensive technique where the coffee cherry is depulped but left with the entirety of its mucilage intact while drying on raised beds. This process often results in a cup with increased sweetness and body compared to washed counterparts, as the sugars from the fruit pulp are absorbed into the bean. You can learn more about the nuances of these techniques in our processing methods explainer.

Sourced by Five Senses, this coffee is grown at an altitude of 1300-1500 masl. In the cup, the profile is characterized by distinct notes of red grape and black currant. To better understand how these specific flavors fit into the broader spectrum of coffee, consult our flavor wheel.