Starmaya Red Honey

Our inaugural offering of this first-generation hybrid is a fruity and beautifully balanced cup. Aromas of apricot and red grape lead to semi-sweet chocolate, plum, and a prominent marmalade note in the cup. Concord grape sweetness and a creamy body resolve into a finish of cocoa and cooling sage. 

Details

Producer: Pitalillo Wet Mill Farm: Villa Triunfo Region: Naranjo Altitude: 4,593 feet Varietal: Starmaya Process: Red Honey Roast: Light Notes: Marmalade, Sage, Semi-Sweet Chocolate

The Story

Finca Villa Triunfo is located in the upper part of Naranjo with a nice view of the Central Valley of Costa Rica. It has volcanic soils, a cool climate and cold temperatures during the night which provide perfect growing conditions for coffee. This farm is unique in that it has Starmaya and Marsellesa cultivars which were both developed as a joint venture between ECOM Sustainable Management Services and CIRAD (agricultural development in France).

The Starmaya Cultivar

 

Starmaya is a cross between Marsellesa (Timor x Villa Sarchi) and Ethiopian/Sudanese natural mutants, created for greater productivity, a better-quality cup, and disease resistance. Starmaya is a new hybrid in its first generation (F1) stage, the very first F1 hybrid that is able to be propagated by seed. Typically F1 hybrids must be propagated in a lab since their genetic material is not stable and propagating seeds results in highly varied results and plants. The fact that Starmaya can be propagated with seed greatly reduces the costs associated with reproduction. 

Learn more about Starmaya and Marsellesa in this blog post.

The Honey Process

 

This coffee was produced via the Red Honey method, which leaves a significant amount of residual mucilage on the seed prior to drying. After drying, the parchment appears red in color, resulting in the “Red Honey” distinction. This process ensures that some of the flavor of the coffee fruit is present in the cup and creates a pleasantly creamy body.

The Starmaya Red Honey, sourced from the Naranjo region of Costa Rica, represents a unique intersection of modern breeding and traditional processing. Produced at the Pitalillo Wet Mill, this lot features the Starmaya varietal, a hybrid known for its distinct profile. The coffee undergoes a Red Honey process, a method where a portion of the fruit mucilage is left on the bean during drying; generally, this technique is employed to enhance sweetness and body, often resulting in a more syrupy mouthfeel compared to fully washed counterparts.

Roasted by PT's Coffee Roasting, this selection highlights notes of marmalade, sage, and semi-sweet chocolate. When evaluating these complex characteristics, tasters may find it helpful to consult the flavor wheel to better categorize the interplay between the bright citrus acidity and the deeper, savory herbal undertones. Grown at 1400 masl, this coffee offers a balanced expression of its specific terroir and careful post-harvest handling.