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How is Costa Rica Tarrazu Region Washed Geisha? From La Candelilla Estate

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). La Candelilla can be called a pioneer of micromills. In 2000, La Candelilla was one of the first washing stations established in Costa Rica, and since then has focused on growing specialty beans. The Geisha they produce

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

La Candelilla Estate: Pioneer of Micromills

La Candelilla can be called a pioneer of micromills. In 2000, La Candelilla was one of the first washing mills established in Costa Rica, and since then has focused on growing specialty beans. Their Gesha production was once included in Starbucks' Black Apron program. La Candelilla Estate produces only 100,000 kilograms annually, utilizing its microbean processing facility to completely preserve the special flavors formed by the estate's microclimate. Their honey processing technique (called Miel or Honey coffee) preserves the pectin layer of the coffee seeds, with natural sun drying throughout the entire process, allowing the beans to fully absorb the fruity aroma and sugars from the pectin layer, creating unique coffee sweetness through sunlight. It features elegant floral notes accompanied by rich tea-like qualities and berry sweetness, with a finish revealing chocolate and caramel sweetness.

Family Operation and Location

La Candelilla is family-operated and located in Tarrazu, Costa Rica. Tarrazu is Costa Rica's largest coffee producing region, where the vast majority of cultivated varieties are Caturra and Catuai, with other varieties including Gesha, SL-28, and Typica. The small farms surrounding La Candelilla total over 40 hectares, and all coffee post-processing is completed at the washing mill. La Candelilla Estate is a Cup of Excellence (CoE) award-winning estate in Costa Rica. Gesha is a relatively young variety in the estate, and due to different terroir and microclimate, it produces different Gesha flavors, though equally refined. It features rich acidity and a long-lasting finish, with distinct almond, plum, citrus, sweet flower, and berry aromas.

Historical Background

In 1900, Victor Mora began developing the coffee plantation. He was also the first person to start growing coffee in the Los Santos region, which is the location of Costa Rica's first C.O.E. champion, Hacienda La Pabla. That C.O.E. competition was the first time Costa Rica held a national COE competition, attracting the attention of specialty coffee merchants worldwide.

Estate Name and Unique Characteristics

The name La Candelilla Estate comes from the many small fireflies in the coffee farm, easily visible in the evening, hence the name. The farm is located in La Sabana village, Tarrazu. Its Gesha variety follows a different path from Panama's La Esmeralda, with different flavors, belonging to the restrained and full-bodied type, though the aftertaste is typical of high-altitude Gesha.

Modern Development

In 2000, La Candelilla Estate manager Refael Sanchez and his wife Lucia established their own small washing processing facility, further improving the quality of their estate. Previously, they had sent their beans to large cooperatives in town for processing. They also decided to grow Gesha, with carefully selected batches in 2009 amounting to only 25 bags. These Gesha beans are all grown on steep slopes at nearly 1,800 meters altitude.

Coffee Details

Variety: Gesha

Processing Method: Refined washed

Flavor Profile: Fresh green tea, lemon peel aroma, with grapefruit fruit notes upon entry, high balance of sweetness and acidity, with an elegant floral aftertaste and long-lasting aromatic persistence.