Lacia Puerto Alegre Geisha Natural

Experience the beloved Geisha profile in this Geisha Natural lot from the Lopez family. They have been cultivating coffee on Finca Puerto Alegre and Finca La Esperanza for over 3 generations and their experience combines with the renowned Geisha profile to create a complex, fruity and floral cup. 

In 2014, four Lopez siblings – the grandchildren of Don Moises – took over the farm and began focusing their efforts on producing sustainable, specialty coffees. The siblings were later joined by several of their own children who have focused on innovative processing and ecotourism. Today, the farm benefits from this multi-generational expertise.

Their careful attention to cultivation is complemented by equally-attentive processing. Jairo, the second youngest of the 4 brothers, was trained as a civil engineer and has applied his knowledge to improving processing methods at Puerto Alegre.

Jairo believes that standardization is key. Each lot receives a “birth certificate” that documents and maintains traceability throughout processing. They record the usual basics – variety, processing method, weight, plot, date picked – and additional fermentation information – time fermentation starts and ends, pH of the sample at different stages and more –  to make the method as repeatable as possible.

Cherry is selectively handpicked. In the field, pickers use a refractometer to ensure cherry is at peak ripeness when picked. Cherry is laid 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. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 25 to 30 days for cherry to dry.

In addition to perfecting processing at their farm, Jairo’s innovations are making a larger impact in Quindio. His idea for automated drying beds recently won a contest and he received funding from the local government to produce his stacked bed design.

Geisha (also known as Gesha) is known for its exceptional cup quality, especially when grown at high altitudes. The variety comes from Ethiopian landrace coffees and was collected from Ethiopian coffee forests in the 1930s. The name supposedly derives from Ethiopia’s Gori Gesha forest.

There is some confusion with several genetically distinct varieties that have all been called Geisha, but the most famous variety is the Panama one. The variety was brought to Lyamungu research station in Tanzania and from there to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in 1953. At CATIE, the variety was logged as T2722. CATIE distributed T2722 across Panama in the 1960s for its Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) resistance, but its brittle branches meant it was not widely planted.

Panama Geisha reached its modern fame in 2005 when a Geisha lot won the “Best of Panama” competition and broke contemporary records at over $20/pound. DNA analysis has demonstrated that the Panama Geisha descended from T2722 is distinct and uniform. Today, Geisha is known for its delicate florals, jasmine and stone fruit.