Blue Label
La Bandera Red Honey Gesha
Hibiscus, Guava, Vanilla Bean
Blue Label
La Bandera Red Honey Gesha
Hibiscus, Guava, Vanilla Bean
This juicy, tropical-toned Gesha opens with aromas of vanilla bean, peach cobbler, raspberry, and bubble gum. Hibiscus and guava notes are joined by red grape sweetness in the cup, followed by clove, dark chocolate, and grilled lemon in the finish.
Available whole bean in an 8oz or 4oz pouch. This coffee roasts and ships on Mondays and Thursdays only.
Producer: Diego Hidalgo
Farm: La Bandera
Region: Tarrazú
Altitude: 1,950 masl
Varietal: Gesha
Process: Red Honey
Roast: Light-Medium
Notes: Hibiscus, Guava, Vanilla Bean
We were introduced to Diego by our friends at Brumas del Zurqui, who procured the La Bandera Red Honey Gesha lot we are excited to offer this spring.
La Bandera is the original farm and location of the micromill that Diego utilizes for his other two farms as well: Aguas Buenas and La Naciente. The highest part of La Bandera measures 1,975 masl, where he grows Gesha, Starmaya, and Typica. Catuai, Villa Lobos, and Yellow Bourbon fill out the rest of the farm. Diego earned 9th place in Cup of Excellence 2024 for a Gesha Natural and 7th place in 2022 for a Gesha Washed.
This Red Honey Gesha—with a significant amount of mucilage remaining on the parchment as it dries—shows off its meticulous processing with amplified fruit notes and a beautifully juicy body.
We first visited Diego Hildago at his micromill and farm, La Bandera, in the Los Santos region of Tarrazú in March of 2026.
Diego has owned the La Bandera micromill since 2014. He grew up in coffee, as his father was a member of the renowned Coopedota since 1974. Diego enjoyed coffee but sought to make a living in the United States, moving here in 1995. Except for a brief return to Costa Rica in 1999 and 2000, Diego lived in the US until his final return in 2011 to take over the coffee farm his father had purchased.
This year has been particularly challenging for Diego. After a big harvest in 2025, he estimates that this year will be down nearly 70%. That is a truly devastating turn of events. The bumper 2025 harvest meant more pruning was required but it also went late into May which led to picking occurring during the early stages of flowering. This reduced the number of new cherries from the outset. Then, heavy rains uncharacteristically fell in December and February, followed by a hard frost.
Despite this, Diego continues to push through and produce excellent coffees. The quantity may be dramatically lower but the quality remains very high.
We look forward to sharing other coffees from La Bandera this year, including a very special and limited controlled drying room lot.
Blue Label coffees may be available in 50g jars, 4oz pouches, and 8oz pouches, depending on inventory and cost. They are sold whole bean only. Standard shipping rates apply.