Christmas Filter
GEISHA VARIETAL
The Geisha varietal rose to prominence in 2004 when a farm called Hacienda La Esmeralda entered their coffee into a competition. The very floral, jasmine flavour profile was very distinctive and the coffee went on to sell for $42 per kg, which at the time was expensive for a coffee.
15 years later a coffee from the same farm sold at auction for $1,320 per kg making it the most expensive coffee ever sold.
HISTORY OF THE GEISHA VARIETAL
The coffee was originally collected in the 1930s in Ethiopia in a region close to a mountain whose name is most commonly rendered in English as Gesha. Over time both Geisha and Gesha have been used.
It was widely planted in Panama in the 1960s as it was resistant to leaf rust, but is wasn't until the 2000s that it finally rose to prominence.
San Jose Ocana
San Jose is currently run by Guillermo Sánchez and has been in his family for over 100 years, first being founded in 1910. It first began as a forestry business, transitioning to a coffee farm as the years passed. Thanks to San José Ocaña’s high altitude, and rich clay soils, the coffee grown here is of excellent quality.
Of the 175 hectares belonging to the farm, only 85 hectares grow coffee. The remaining land is dedicated to native forests with trees such as grevillea, silk oak and pine acting as shade for the coffee. Sustainability is a key value for the Sánchez family, and preserving the local ecosystems is of utmost importance. Ensuring a balance is maintained between the farm and the surrounding wilderness helps make San José Ocaña a truly sustainable farm.
For this specific lot, it is comprised of the Gesha varietal and underwent the Fully Washed process. This began when the cherries reached peak ripeness and were harvested delicately by hand. The cherries were then delivered to the wet mill via truck, where they were submerged in tanks of water to remove any floaters or underripe cherries. The coffee was then pulped and dispersed to be dried in the open sun. Once the ideal moisture content was reached, the coffee was gathered, rested, and delivered to the dry mill to be hulled and prepared for export.