[sold out] La Esperanza – Colombia Geisha

Description

A complex geisha with tasting notes of rose and tropical fruits, born on a multi-generational farm that focuses on sustainable practices.

The Lopez family has been cultivating coffee on Finca La Esperanza for over 3 generations.

But a big move into sustainable, specialty coffees started in 2014 when 4 grandchildren of Don Moises took over.

Along with their own children, those 4 family members took a heavy focus on innovative processing and ecotourism as means to grow.

Coffee at Finca La Esperanza is shade grown and has been since their patriarch, Don Moises, made the decision to maintain his shade cover in the 1970s.

Although full sun generates higher yields, Don Moises was a strong believer in sustainability (before sustainability was a “thing”) and did not want to damage the environment with the use of pesticides and fertilisers for higher yields.

Due to weather patterns, Finca La Esperanza produces coffee year-round. The Lopez family fertilises and prunes trees on a regular schedule to keep plants healthy and productive.

About this coffee

At the Lopez farms, each lot receives a “birth certificate” that documents and maintains traceability throughout processing.

Cherries are selectively handpicked. In the field, pickers use a refractometer to ensure the cherry is a peak ripeness when picked.

Cherries then rest overnight and are analyzed again to ensure top-quality grade.

The cherries are then pulped and laid out with mucilage on raised beds in parabolic driers.

Jairo keeps careful track of the temperature within the drier and uses ventilation to control temperature and humidity to ensure even drying.

The cherries are raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 to 30 days for the cherry to dry.

This is a complex coffee – as geishas tend to be. Expect tropical fruits, rose, black cherry, and some dark chocolate.