Introduction to Costa Rican Cup of Excellence Winning Estates: What Are the Characteristics of Don Mayo Estate's Geisha Variety?

Don Mayo Estate sits in Costa Rica's most prestigious producing region—Tarrazú—in the San Marcos district of San José province. Influenced by warm, humid Pacific air currents, the area receives up to 2400mm of rain annually with average temperatures around 19°C, ideal for coffee trees and other crops. Since the harvest coincides with the dry season, and with favorable altitude and temperature, experienced farmers, and ample funding, coffee here excels in both quality and yield.

A typical local family business, Don Mayo was founded in 1994 and is run by the Bonilla Family—now 30 years of history. Beyond producing, harvesting, processing, and exporting high-quality green coffee, they have practiced environmentally friendly cultivation for years while continually innovating their management.

Founder Héctor Bonilla Cruz headed the Llano Bonito Cooperative from 1992 to 1998, during which he introduced the concept of fair trade to the local market and exported the cooperative's green coffee directly to Europe and North America.

Around 2005, as the estate's production grew and global coffee prices soared, Bonilla built dedicated processing plants and added more drying beds and drying equipment to handle cherries from the family's own plots.

By 2011, the estate owner had acquired the El Cedral plot at 1850 meters and began cultivating specialty coffee on this fertile land. The high altitude guarantees the farm the first rays of morning sunlight—ample light means better photosynthesis—while mineral-rich volcanic soil feeds the trees and helps the coffee develop richer flavors.

Cultivation and Excellence

The Bonilla family's agronomy is equally impressive. Since its founding, Don Mayo has developed fourteen separate plots across three major regions: five in Llano Bonito, León Cortés Castro, San José Province; eight in San Marcos; and one near Mount Chirripó. Thanks to the subtle differences in terroir, each plot has its own character. Since 2008, they have continually stood out in Costa Rica's Cup of Excellence competitions.

Bella Vista Farm, the champion batch of the 2009 Costa Rica Cup of Excellence, has 15 years of cultivation history. The name says it all—the "beautiful view" farm occupies the estate's highest ground, and its coffee shows distinct fruity sweetness, with the honey-processed batches displaying particularly complex, layered aromas.

Today the estate mainly grows Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Geisha, and Villa Sarchi, processed primarily by washed, honey, anaerobic, and natural methods. To keep the trees well nourished, they analyze plant leaves and planting soil comprehensively every year, maintaining a healthy ecosystem and stable bean quality.

Awards and Recognition

Don Mayo has competed in top international coffee competitions for years, winning numerous high honors. In the Cup of Excellence (COE) alone, they have placed more than thirty times since 2008. Their honey-processed Geisha took championships in both 2009 and 2020, and 12th, 27th, and 22nd place in 2018, 2019, and 2022 respectively—a standout among Costa Rica's specialty producers.

To bring these exceptional coffees to more drinkers, FrontStreet Coffee acquired two lots during the harvest season: Geisha from the El Cedral plot and Catuai from the Bella Vista plot, both processed with the honey method the Bonilla family excels at.

Coffee Profiles

Costa Rica · Don Mayo Estate · El Cedral · Geisha
Region: Costa Rica, Tarrazú
Estate: Don Mayo Estate, El Cedral Plot
Altitude: 1850 meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Red Honey
Flavors: Dried mango, black plum, orange, oolong tea

Costa Rica · Don Mayo Estate · Bella Vista · Catuai
Region: Costa Rica, Tarrazú
Estate: Don Mayo Estate, Bella Vista Plot
Altitude: 1950 meters
Variety: Catuai
Processing: Black Honey
Flavors: Dried prune, black plum, preserved plum, berries

Honey Processing Method

For honey processing, fully ripe cherries go to the mill for depulping, with the degree of mucilage retention set by the honey color. Black honey retains nearly all the mucilage and needs the longest drying; red honey retains 50–80% of the mucilage, and the parchment beans need at least 12 days to dry completely. The sticky parchment then rests in a greenhouse for two days, turned constantly for even drying. As the mucilage gradually dehydrates, the parchment darkens red and the sugars concentrate in the seed, bringing richer fruit aromas.

Tasting Notes by FrontStreet Coffee

Drawing on past roasting experience, FrontStreet Coffee fine-tuned both coffees at a medium-light level and cupped them immediately with the team.

The red honey Geisha from El Cedral shows distinct dark berry aromatics in the dry fragrance with subtle tea-like florals, plus black plum, raisin, and jammy fermentation notes. On tasting: cranberry, cherry, and citrus. As it cools, the berry acidity intertwines with orange sweetness over a smooth, full body, and after swallowing a unique black tea aroma emerges.

The black honey Catuai from Bella Vista leans more toward dried fruit—dried prune, raisin, and preserved plum on the nose. The cup shows black plum, berries, grape, and pear-tea flavors, dominated by dark, acidic fruits with a round, solid mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

1. FrontStreet Granal Gesha (Ethiopia, Natural) — A beginner-friendly Ethiopian Geisha from the Genlana processing station (founded 2014, run by Israel Degefa, in a 700-hectare growing area of fertile, shaded land). Whole ripe cherries are hand-picked and dried on raised beds for 14–20 days. At a medium-light roast: bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-flower aroma, full ripe-fruit sweetness, and a fine silky body with Geisha's signature refined finish.

2. FrontStreet Geisha Village Gold Label & Red Label (Ethiopia) — For estate-level Ethiopian Geisha: the Gold Label (Gesha 1931 variety, ~10% of production, carefully natural-processed) is the estate's top non-auction coffee, frequently chosen by competing baristas; the Red Label (Gori Gesha, ~15%, scoring 88+ on the SCA 100-point scale) is a single-terroir series with fully traceable lot numbers. Both are must-buys for advanced pour-over drinkers.

3. FrontStreet Granal Gesha SOE (Medium Roast) — Geisha also shines as espresso: medium roasting preserves its floral-fruit character and ripe dried-fruit sweetness, with Ethiopian white florals and lemon-bright acidity; as espresso it turns to dried apricot, caramel, and nut. Pull 20g of coffee to a 1:2 ratio (40g of liquid) in about 25 seconds—an Americano diluted 1:5 with 200g of hot water shows orange, nut, and blueberry; with 200g of milk, a silky cream-cookie latte.