Corazón de Jesús

Tasting Notes: Mixed berries, passion fruit, maple honey

Fragrance (Dry): Chocolate cream
Aroma (Wet): Berries
Acidity: Bright, winey, slightly tart
Body: Juicy, slightly syrupy
Aftertaste: Long. sweet. delicate

The dry fragrance presents a blend of mixed berries and chocolate cream, hinting at underlying cocoa-derived tones. Once brewed, the wet aroma sharpens toward fresh berries, with light accents of passion fruit adding lift. On the palate, a bright, winey acidity leads the profile, slightly tart yet controlled, carrying clear mixed-berry character through the front of the cup. The mid-palate introduces a restrained passion fruit note, subtle and precise, contributing aromatic complexity without overt tropical intensity. The body is juicy with a mild syrupy texture, providing continuity and balance. As the cup settles, sweetness deepens into maple honey, forming a long, delicate finish. Occasional cocoa nib impressions re-emerge toward the aftertaste, adding gentle contrast and structure to an otherwise clean, sweet, and composed profile.

Founded in 2015 by the Alvarado Fonseca family, Corazón de Jesús is a micromill located in Chiripó, Brunca – one of Costa Rica’s youngest and least conventional coffee-producing regions. Originally operating as part of a relative’s micromill, the family made a deliberate decision to branch out independently, establishing their own facility to preserve both their processing philosophy and autonomy. Their early years were modest by any measure: a borrowed pulping machine, a makeshift drying shed, and a commitment to reinvest every gain back into quality improvement. That focus on detail and reinvestment has since become a defining trait of the mill.

In a remarkably short time, Corazón de Jesús has emerged as one of Costa Rica’s most compelling producers. After a fifth-place finish at the 2021 Cup of Excellence, the micromill went on to place third in 2022 and second in 2024, firmly establishing its international reputation. Central to this rise is the family’s innovative mindset, exemplified by their patented Natural Reposado process – an approach inspired by wine fermentation that emphasizes controlled resting and maturation to build depth while preserving clarity.

The family manages several representative plots, including El Salitre and Los Toños, alongside newer high-altitude sites such as La Cusuka. One of the earliest cultivars planted at La Cusuka is ET47 (Ethiopía 47), and it remains a key expression of the family’s meticulous, long-term approach. Chosen for its aromatic potential and suitability to the site’s elevation and climate, the family also adopts practices such as proper spacing and calibrated shade management to manage the cultivar’s notorious sensitivity and allow for its expressiveness to shine through. These decisions translate directly into the cup, where ET47 often shows refined structure, lifted fruit, and composed sweetness rather than overt intensity.

La Cusuka’s debut in 2025 was particularly notable, securing first place in both the Washed and Natural categories, underscoring the family’s precise agronomy and processing discipline. Beyond accolades, Corazón de Jesús stands as a model for sustainable, forward-looking agriculture. The Alvarado Fonseca family places strong emphasis on soil restoration, biodiversity, and long-term land health, integrating experimentation with environmental stewardship. The result is coffee that reflects not only technical excellence and innovation, but a deeply considered relationship between family, land, and process – where quality is the outcome of intention rather than intervention.

Sourced from: 咖啡小小家
We paid: S$60.53/kg
Roasted cost: S$77.03/kg

Moisture Content: 10.0%
Weight Loss: 11.5%
Agtron: W86.8 / G122.6 / △35.8