Volcán Azul\Hacienda Colima

Tasting Notes: Florals, lemon balm, peach, white tea

Fragrance/Aroma: Jasmine, peach, lemon balm
Acidity: Rounded, citric, malic
Body: Sliky, delicate, slightly milky
Aftertaste: Lingering, soft, honeyed sweetness

The dry fragrance opens with a distinct point of fresh lemon, accompanied by a lightly herbaceous quality that brings to mind lemon balm. Jasmine follows softly in the background, lending a delicate floral lift without competing with the citrus. On brewing, the lemon becomes more tea-like in character, while the jasmine recedes further, leaving a quieter, more subdued aromatic profile.

In the cup, lemon balm leads with a fresh, gently herbaceous citrus character, supported by rounded citric and malic acidity. The brightness is well controlled, providing definition without becoming piercing or sharp. As the initial citrus gradually settles, the profile transitions seamlessly into white peach, whose gentle stone fruit sweetness introduces a slightly milky quality to the mouthfeel. This shift is subtle, with the peach softening the citrus rather than displacing it entirely.

The body is silky and delicate, lending the cup an airy, almost weightless quality. Florals remain present throughout, though they take a backseat on the palate, providing quiet aromatic lift rather than becoming a defining feature. Instead, the interplay between lemon balm and white peach carries the experience, moving from fresh citrus into a softer, more rounded sweetness.

The finish settles into a mellow, white tea-like character, with a lingering honeyed sweetness that feels gentle and unforced. Its softness complements the silky texture, leaving the palate clean while allowing a faint trace of citrus and florals to persist.

The overall progression is one of quiet refinement, moving from herbaceous lemon through delicate white peach to a soft, honeyed tea-like finish. Nothing feels particularly forceful; the cup's appeal lies in its lightness and the ease with which its contrasting elements come together.ry fragrance, lemon picked up on first, albeit with a slightly herbaceous tone briging to mind with the jasmine is on the softer sde

Volcán Azul’s story is rooted in a coffee-growing tradition that stretches back to the 19th century. Its heritage brings together two pioneering family lines: the Castro-Jiménez family in Costa Rica and the Kahle family, whose coffee ventures began in southern Mexico. Their shared ambition to produce exceptional coffee continues through Alejo Castro Kahle, a seventh-generation coffee producer who has built on this legacy with a strong emphasis on quality, varietal diversity and processing innovation. Under his stewardship, Volcán Azul has evolved beyond traditional coffee cultivation into a producer of carefully selected micro- and nano-lots, exploring how different varieties and processing methods can express the character of their growing environments. The family also places considerable importance on environmental conservation, protecting extensive areas of rainforest alongside its coffee-growing operations.

Hacienda Colima, one of the family’s longstanding properties in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, carries this tradition forward through the production of selected microlots. Its volcanic soils and highland growing conditions provide the setting for a diverse range of varieties, including established cultivars and less familiar genetic selections. While Volcán Azul is particularly associated with experimental honey, natural and fermentation-driven processes, this fully washed ET47 lot takes a more restrained approach, allowing the variety and its growing environment to remain at the forefront.

ET47, also known as Etiope 47 or ETH47, is a relatively recent selection associated with Ethiopian coffee genetic material. Accounts of its development vary, but sources commonly describe Ethiopian landrace material being introduced into Costa Rica and selected through breeding or trial work, with the number 47 referring to the 47th selection attempt. It is therefore better understood as a specific selection derived from Ethiopian genetic resources than as a traditional Ethiopian landrace itself. Its cultivation in Costa Rica represents an interesting meeting of Ethiopian genetic diversity and the growing conditions of a different coffee-producing origin.

For this ET47 lot, the fully washed approach provides a clearer view of the selection without the additional fruit contact associated with honey or natural processing. Paired with Volcán Azul’s focus on varietal experimentation, it offers an opportunity to explore how Ethiopian-derived genetic material expresses itself in Costa Rica, while reflecting Alejo Castro Kahle’s broader pursuit of quality through both agricultural heritage and continued refinement.

Sourced from: Café Narava
We paid: S$46.29/kg
Roasted cost: S$/kg

Moisture content: 9.3%
Weight loss: 9.5%
Agtron: W79.8 / G123.0 / △43.2