Nariño

Nariño is characterized by steep slopes, and extremely high altitudes as well as a unique climate. Warm, humid air makes its way up from the valleys during the evening hours, allowing for coffee to be grown at higher altitudes than in the rest of Colombia, without risk of frost. Producers are small, biodiversity is traditional, soils are nutrient rich and well-drained.

Gesha

The famed and highly sought-after Gesha variety is originally from Ethiopia. It was transported to Latin America in the 1950s where it was noted for its tolerance to leaf rust. In 2005, the variety was "rediscovered" when it won that year's Best of Panama competition. Since then, it has gone on to break price records at auction year after year and has been planted by farmers across Latin America in hopes of securing high prices.

The variety itself is highly demanding, and it requires high elevations in order to really deliver the exceptional floral, jasmine and stone fruit cup characteristics it is so famous for. There are actually a number of genetically distinct varieties that carry the name Gesha, and most have been traced back to Landraces from the same geographic area in Ethiopia.

Washed

This specific lot of Gesha coffee was processed using the washed method at the El Obraje mill. Processing times can vary depending on the climatic conditions during harvest. Typically, cherries are fermented whole for 20 hours in the same bags used for picking. Only ripe cherries are selectively harvested and sorted by flotation. After pulping, the coffee undergoes a 24-hour dry fermentation, followed by a full wash and a second flotation sorting. The coffee is then dried on raised beds for an average of 18 to 22 days. During the rainy season, high humidity makes it nearly impossible to dry coffee solely on raised beds. In these conditions, the coffee is dried for four days in a mechanical parchment combustion dryer, where it is exposed to a hot air
flow of 30°C. Initially, planting shade trees would have been impractical due to the humidity, as they could trap excess moisture and promote diseases. However, the coffee has adapted to its environment, and the farm now features low-density shade trees planted alongside the coffee trees.