Hope Estate’s Honey-Processed Mocha Peaberry from Colombia

In 2011, a tiny coffee fetched over $200 per pound at auction—more than the famed Panamanian Geisha. That coffee? A Colombian Mocha variety, known for its minuscule size, unique shape, and extreme rarity. One year later, it shattered records again at $500.5 per pound. But what makes Mocha—especially the even rarer peaberry version—so sought after, and where can you still find it today?

The answer lies in Hope Estate’s (Granja La Esperanza) honey-processed Mocha peaberry from Colombia. This lot, once the most expensive coffee in the world, is now available as a rare microlot featuring delicate sweetness and full body, processed with careful honey method. At just 0.39–0.43 cm wide, its small, round beans offer something truly unique.

What Is Mocha Coffee—and Why Is It So Small?

Mocha (also spelled Mocca) is a natural mutation or variety of Bourbon, originally from Ethiopia or Yemen. It was later introduced to Brazil, Hawaii, Guatemala, and Colombia. Unlike typical coffee beans that are larger and flatter, Mocha beans are inherently small and nearly round. They typically measure just 10–11 mesh (0.39–0.43 cm wide)—much smaller than the common 18-mesh (0.7 cm) Central American beans. Many Mocha beans also show a slightly flattened surface, indicating they often grow as pairs inside the coffee cherry, though not true peaberries. Only around 2% of Mocha beans are actual peaberries, far lower than the 5–10% found in regular Arabica.

The Rise and Record of Mocha at Auction

In 2011, the Ihuetz Estate (likely a transliteration error for the Colombian farm involved) made global headlines when their first-ever auction lot of Mocha sold for $211.5 per pound—already surpassing the 2010 Best of Panama (BOP) champion, Esmeralda Geisha, which went for $170.2 per pound. The following year, in 2012, another lot of Mocha shattered all records by selling for an astonishing $500.5 per pound, making it more expensive than Geisha and officially the world’s most valuable coffee at that time.

Hope Estate: Colombia’s Award-Winning Coffee Powerhouse

The Mocha peaberry you can now try comes from Hope Estate (Granja La Esperanza), one of Colombia’s most awarded coffee farms. The estate includes four properties: Esperanza, Las Margaritas, Cerro Azul, and Potosi. It achieved legendary status in the coffee world by winning Best of Panama Champion in 2008 and Runner-Up in 2009. In 2012, three of its coffees claimed the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th spots in the top ten of the SCAA Coffee of the Year awards—an unprecedented feat. Most recently, Hope Estate earned recognition at the Good Food Awards (GFA), becoming the only non-Ethiopian, non-Kenyan, and non-Panamanian farm to win the award.

What Is Honey Process—and How Does It Affect Mocha?

Honey processing, originally inspired by Brazil’s pulped natural method, involves removing the coffee skin but leaving varying amounts of the sticky fruit mucilage (or “honey”) on the beans during drying. This method shortens drying time compared to natural processing while reducing the risk of fermentation defects found in poorly managed wet processes. In Costa Rica, producers refined the technique into several styles: black honey (least mucilage removed, longest drying), red honey, yellow honey, and white honey (most mucilage removed).

At FrontStreet Coffee, our own Blackberry coffee uses a black honey process with nearly full mucilage retention and long shaded drying for over two weeks. The result is intense floral aroma and flavors of grape, blackberry, and dark chocolate. Similarly, honey processing enhances the Mocha’s inherent sweetness and body, giving this rare peaberry lot a silky mouthfeel and pronounced fruit notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mocha coffee?

Mocha is a variety or mutation of Bourbon, originally from Ethiopia or Yemen. It produces small, round beans—about 0.39–0.43 cm wide—that are naturally smaller than typical 18-mesh Central American beans (0.7 cm). Though sometimes flat-faced, Mocha beans are not usually peaberries, though around 2% of them are, compared to the usual 5–10% in other Arabicas.

Why was Mocha coffee so expensive in 2012?

In 2012, a lot of Colombian Mocha coffee sold for $500.5 per pound at auction, breaking the previous record held by Panama’s Geisha in 2010 ($170.2/lb) and then in 2011 ($211.5/lb). Its extreme rarity, small size, and unique cup profile drove the record-breaking price.

What is a peaberry in coffee?

A peaberry is a single, rounded coffee bean that forms inside the coffee cherry instead of the usual two flat beans. This happens in about 5–10% of all coffee, but only around 2% of Mocha beans are peaberries. Peaberries often roast more evenly and can have distinct cup characteristics.

Where does Hope Estate coffee come from?

Hope Estate (Granja La Esperanza) is a premium Colombian coffee farm with four estates: Esperanza, Las Margaritas, Cerro Azul, and Potosi. It has won multiple international awards, including Best of Panama (2008, 2009), multiple SCAA Coffee of the Year top placements (2012), and a Good Food Award.

What is honey processed coffee?

Honey processing removes the coffee cherry skin but leaves some or all of the sticky mucilage on the beans during drying. This enhances sweetness and body. Variants include black honey (most mucilage, longest dry), red, yellow, and white honey (least mucilage). It’s different from natural or washed processes.

Is Mocha the same as Geisha?

No. Mocha is a variety of Bourbon, known for small round beans and unique cup qualities. Geisha (or Gesha) is a tall-growing Ethiopian variety famous for floral, citrusy, and tea-like profiles. While both have commanded high auction prices, they are distinct cultivars with different origins and flavor profiles.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans with Honey Processing

Explore FrontStreet Coffee’s honey-processed beans to experience similar sweetness and complexity. The Blackberry coffee uses Costa Rican beans with nearly 100% mucilage retention, resulting in bold berry and chocolate tones. Strawberry Candy Espresso combines Panamanian Geisha with grapefruit, blueberry, and almond notes. For tropical richness, try Mozart Coffee with preserved 100% fruit peel and notes of pineapple and osmanthus. All are available as single-origin microlots. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.