La Bandera Red Honey Gesha

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.

Details

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

The Story

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.

Direct Trade

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.

Geisha varietal coffees are celebrated for their distinctive floral and tea-like character, and this expression from PT's Coffee Roasting demonstrates the variety's capacity for bright, nuanced fruit expression. Sourced from producer Diego Hidalgo in Tarrazú, this lot showcases the terroir of Costa Rica's premier high-altitude growing region at 1950–1975 meters. The red honey processing method—a variant of pulped natural techniques—contributes layered sweetness and body while preserving the Geisha variety's inherent complexity.

The roaster identifies prominent hibiscus and guava notes alongside warm spice and stone fruit, creating a profile that bridges delicate floral aromatics with bolder dessert-like sweetness. This complexity reflects both the varietal's character and the careful fermentation choices of the red honey process.