Hernan Calderon Bilbao Geisha FW

Hernan purchased Finca Bilbao in 2009. He’s the third generation of coffee producers in his family. Hernan has two children. They are still young but the oldest, who’s 7, already likes brewing coffee.

Hernan’s goals for the future are to have his farm, Finca Bilbao, recognized for its high-quality production and established as an agritourism site.  He works tirelessly to ensure his coffee is of excellent quality and that his farm succeeds. His Geisha Fully washed lot is everything you’d want from a Geisha and then some. Keep an eye on him!

In 2010, Hernan read an article about Geisha from Panama and immediately recognized that his farm had conditions that could compete with Geisha produced in Panama. He faced difficulties procuring Geisha seedlings but was able to get help through a Colombian exporter and grow his own seedlings. He’s been selling his Geisha lots since 2015.

Geisha is selectively handpicked and only ripe, red cherry is processed. Cherry is floated to remove any under- or over-ripes and then pulped. Coffee is fermented and then washed in clean water. Parchment is laid to sundry and raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 to 20 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.