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In the cup: Complex with a harmoniously balanced soft sweetness and pleasantly sparkling acidity. Floral notes of jasmine and honeysuckle with tones of sweet oranges.
Cupping score: 89,5
Mouthfeel: Textured, soft
Variety: Gesha
Process: Natural
Producer: John Samboni / Finca Santa Barbara
Altitude : 2000 m.a.s.l.
Region: Algeciras, Huila
Background:
Producer Jhon Samboni purchased Finca Santa Barbara in 2019. His focus on high quality cultivation and processing is evident in his coffee, which is fruity and sweet with notes of stone fruit.
When he’s not producing excellent lots like this one, Jhon has a vibrant Youtube channel where he sings Vallenato and Norteño (popular local music) for his many followers.
The Huila region is one of the most well-known coffee growing areas of Colombia. The Department of Huila has a population of 1.125 million and is located in the southwest of the country. The capital of the department is Neiva, a city of about 380,000.
Along with Cauca and Nariño, Huila is one the three departments where the Colombian Massif is located. A massif is a group of mountain ranges, and the Colombian Massif, which is known locally as Nudo de Almaguer, provides up to 70% of safe drinking and agricultural water for the Colombian population.
In addition to coffee, Jhon also cultivates yucca, avocado, tomato, sugarcane and peas.
Gesha (also known as Geisha) 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.