Los Arboles Huila Geisha FW

Arley and Maria Delgado are an excellent example of the feats that can be achieved when husband and wife work together with respect and affection. In the machismo culture of coffee production in Colombia, it’s uncommon to see such a strong and balanced relationship between spouses. The superb cup quality and impressive rate of improvement is a strong endorsement for the potential of greater equality. 

The Delgados chose Geisha variety after hearing about the high regard buyers had for its cup profile. They receive support from Inconexus, who helped them secure high quality Geisha seedlings.

Their farm sits at the high altitude of 1,700 meters above sea level and is surrounding by lush landscapes and verdant trees. It’s these picturesque views that inspired them to name the farm Finca Los Arboles, meaning “the trees” in Spanish.

Arley and his wife selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farm. Cherry is visually hand sorted, pulped and fermented for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee is washed in clean water and then dried. Arley rakes parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 days for parchment to dry. 

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.