Mauricio Duque - Natural Gesha

Description

ROAST | LIGHT MEDIUM

ORIGIN | NEIRA, CALDAS, COLOMBIA

NOTES | PASSIONFRUIT, PINEAPPLE, BLOOD ORANGE, POMEGRANATE

You don't have to peruse our rotating menu for very long before one thing is pretty clear: we love a good Colombian Gesha around here. Our lengthy list of offerings from brothers Shady and Elias Bayter is proof enough of that. Today's release, however, didn't come from the hills of El Vergel, but from a farm located about 160 miles north, in Caldas. Finca Balcón de la Montaña is cultivated and cared for by producer Mauricio Duque, and it is from his fields that we had the opportunity to procure this stunning Colombian Gesha lot - which we originally had in mind for barista competitions!

Processing: This coffee is a really lovely example of a naturally processed Gesha from Colombia. The cherries were handpicked at peak ripeness and set in tanks to ferment for 48 hours. After fermentation, the cherries were removed to covered raised beds to dry for 21 days. Although we'd classify it as having a medium-plus fermentation impact, the resultant flavor profile is not boozy in nature. And, although we love tasting coffees that remind us of sangria, this particular cup showcases a different possible outcome from processing that is lighter in its expression, though equally delicious. 

In the cup: If we're saying this coffee is tropical-but-not-boozy, perhaps you can think of it as resembling your favorite beach bar mocktail. Notes of passionfruit, pineapple, blood orange, and pomegranate certainly transport our palettes to a white-sand beach, and that journey can be felt in a big way as the coffee moves through various temperature. When hot, the sweetness is amplified, but as the coffee cools, acidity gets turned up to 11, and the big, fruity intensity of this coffee really shines. Red fruits take their bow at the very end, when the coffee has cooled and we're left twirling our tiny paper umbrellas.

Producer | Mauricio Duque

Farm | Finca Balcón de la Montaña

Process | Natural

Variety | Gesha

Elevation | 1900 masl