Get a taste of Colombia’s finest with this washed Geisha by Alexander and Leidy.
VERY SPECIAL
Almost inevitably, we return to the VS roots with a delicate washed Geisha from Colombia. It’s not a crazy or wacky profile coffee, but simply a fantastic serving of the best Caravela (the importer) sources from the favourite South American country.
It’s too pricey and small a lot to offer on our standard subscription, and it goes a notch beyond in terms of quality and flavour. Alexander Hernández & Leidy Johana Vargas’ Geisha is, indeed, Very Special.
ALEXANDER, LEIDY AND LA ESMERALDA
This Finca La Esmeralda (definitely a common name for coffee farms!) is located in Pitalito, southern Huila, near the heart of the Macizo Colombiano at 1700 metres above sea level. Here, three major Colombian mountain ranges converge near the source of the Magdalena River, and these factors create diverse microclimates that are well-known in Colombia’s coffee production.
Alexander manages his 9-hectare farm in partnership with Leidy Johana Vargas. They grow a mix of Caturra, V.Colombia and Geisha varietals under the shade of cachingo, guamo and plantain trees.
He completed the Caravela PECA curriculum and holds PECA certification, which helped them achieve top-quality coffee like the lot we’re featuring here. The PECA program equips producers with the skills and knowledge necessary to enhance coffee quality at every stage of the process, from seed selection to seedling cultivation, planting, soil management, pest and blight control, ripe cherry picking, cherry de-pulping, fermentation, and parchment drying. PECA training guided Alexander and Leidy in introducing shade cover over their patios, raised beds for the drying process and guidance on maintaining clean fermentation tanks for superior coffee washing.
THIS COFFEE
The varietal doesn’t need a presentation—Geisha! The process is traditionally fully washed and fermented for 24 hours, then shade-dried in covered patios and raised drying beds, per PECA tips.
The result is an outstanding sample of Colombia’s finest, which, by the way, is Rainforest Alliance certified.
