Peru — Juan Jose Huillca, Lot #Y-3, SL9* (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍑 Persimmon • 🌸 Orange Blossom • 💐 Lilac

DETAILS

• Producer: Juan Jose Huillca
• Lot: #Y-3
• Region: Yanatile, Cusco, Peru
• Varietal: SL9*
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,850 MASL
• Harvest: November 2025
• Size: 250g

INTRO

Yanatile is one of the most remarkable places SEY has visited. The mountains are breathtaking, and the energy is deeply inspiring. This is one of only a handful of lots SEY purchased from this special place, and it carries a quietness — almost sacred — that defines the region.

In the cup, expect persimmon, orange blossom, and lilac.

THE PRODUCER

This release comes from Juan Jose Huillca, a producer working in Yanatile in the Cusco region of Peru. SEY have only visited Yanatile a couple of times — the region is vast and mountainous, and it is easy to feel disoriented upon arrival. Producers there continue to use traditional, fully organic growing practices, and SEY are continuing to learn from the place as they go, moving with care.

This is another expression of SL9*, a rare cultivar SEY have been exploring across Peru. *While this variety's exact genetic fingerprint is not currently in the global database, its similarity to SL09 supports the use of SL9 as a provisional working name. Colloquially known as "Gesha Inca," genetic testing has shown the variety closely resembles SL09 — a rare cultivar belonging to the Ethiopian Legacy group. "SL" refers to single-tree selections made by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s. SL09 — and by extension SL9 — remains uncommon in cultivation today.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Juan Jose's farm involves:

• 🍒 Harvest — Hand-picked at peak ripeness
• 💧 Floating — Cherries floated to remove defects
• 🔧 De-pulping — De-pulped on the day of harvest
• 🧪 Fermentation — Dry-fermented for 30 hours
• ☀️ Drying — Dried on raised beds

This careful, traditional approach preserves the floral character and delicate fruit expression that defines SL9 from this region.

THE CUP

A delicate and aromatic cup, with the kind of restrained florality and orchard-fruit sweetness that has come to typify SEY's Peruvian SL9 selections. Persimmon offers a soft, ripe sweetness whilst orange blossom and lilac lift the aromatics into something genuinely beautiful.

Flavour Notes

• 🍑 Persimmon
• 🌸 Orange Blossom
• 💐 Lilac