Very Special
High altitude growing (~1850 masl), Gesha variety, meticulous processing (down to the Brix value): on paper, this trifecta leads to a top-quality coffee.
But does this show up in the cup? It does. It’s gently sweet, with a sparkling acidity. It’s light-ish in body and mildly floral. Delicious.
So, yes, for us, Faustino Flores’ washed Gesha deserves a spot in our Very Special category. Again!
Faustino and the Flores family
Faustino Flores has been working in coffee since the 1970s. This has afforded him a strong knowledge of traditional techniques; however, he’s interested in pushing the boundaries. In the last few years, he’s pursued innovative cultivation techniques, biodiversity in the farm, and premium coffee varieties: Gesha, Caturra Amarillo, and Marshell.
Faustino’s coffee has been recognised with multiple placements in the Cup of Excellence auctions, most recently in 2022.
Finca El Morito
David Flores is Faustino’s son, and he’s also involved in coffee, but in a different way than his dad! He founded Finca El Morito, a coffee trading venture showcasing high-quality Peruvian coffees.
70% of the coffee lots they work with are produced directly by the Flores-Chilcón family in the Cajamarca region; the rest is sourced from the Cutervo and San Ignacio (provinces of Cajamarca).
Check out their Instagram account - in this video, they share a few pictures with Eli from Condesa Co Lab, who sourced and imported the coffee for us here in Australia:
About this lot
This microlot is selectively harvested, with only cherries measuring a Brix level above 20 selected. A second sorting is then carried out to remove any overripe cherries. The cherries are fermented in hermetically sealed tanks for 24 hours to increase sweetness, before moving to the pulping stage.
Once the pulp is separated from the beans, a second fermentation takes place with the remaining mucilage for a further 48 hours, completing a total of 76 hours of fermentation. Throughout this process, close attention is paid to climatic conditions to ensure optimal results, before proceeding to washing and achieving a clean, solid parchment.
In general, our microlots undergo double fermentation as part of their traditional processing method. After fermentation, the coffee is dried slowly in a solar dryer under shade for 20–25 days. Once drying is complete, the coffee is analysed through roasting and cupping to assess the flavour profile and confirm that it meets their expectations for their Gesha coffees.
