Corazón de Jesús Taka Geisha Natural Inoculation

The most luxurious expression of candy-like sweetness and floral complexity we’ve tasted in a coffee.

Corazón de Jesús is run by the Alvarado Fonseca family in Chirripó, within Costa Rica’s Brunca region. In 2015, Jhon Alvarado took the enormous risk of moving into specialty coffee and building the family’s own micro mill. Named Heart of Jesus, the project was an expression of faith as they stepped into the unknown. A decade later, the family took first place in both the washed and honey and natural categories at Costa Rica’s 2025 Cup of Excellence.

We visited earlier this year, spending the day with Antonio exploring the family’s farms, mill and cupping lab. His enthusiasm was infectious, and his care evident in every detail. There was a real willingness to experiment, supported by a thoughtful approach to quality and a deep pride in what his family was building.

This Taka Geisha comes from Vista Paraíso, grown at 1,600 metres under partial shade. Its story began with Antonio’s Japanese friend Taka, who brought him Geisha seeds from Panama. Those special seeds became the foundation for the coffee that now carries his name.

When we first asked Antonio how he approached the natural inoculation, he was a little reluctant to give too much away. Something of a secret recipe - and after tasting the coffee, we could understand why.

Selectively picked cherries undergo a carefully controlled inoculated natural process, using a special mosto (fermented coffee liquid prepared from Geisha cherries and selected yeasts). Following a cold anaerobic fermentation, the cherries are slowly dried whole on raised beds, with the full process taking 35–45 days.

During our visit we cupped fourteen coffees. The standard was extraordinary, but this lot stood apart. Our coffee-stained notes were hardly technical: beautiful, juicy, fragrant. The classiest, silkiest lolly we’d ever tasted and scoring 90+ points.

This is competition-level coffee. Had there been enough to enter the Cup of Excellence, we genuinely believe it could have taken the top spot.

Pink rose, coffee blossom and lavender lead into strawberry candy, ripe peach and honey, with a lift of sweet green apple and bergamot. Rich and coating at first, it becomes increasingly silky and juicy as it cools, leaving a long, sweet finish.

We secured a small amount for KoKo, enough for 23 numbered tins.