Ecuador — Juan Peña, Hacienda La Papaya, Gesha (Natural)

Tastes Like — 🥭 Mango • 🍓 Raspberry • 💐 Wisteria

DETAILS

• Producer: Juan Peña
• Farm: Hacienda La Papaya
• Region: Saraguro, Loja, Ecuador
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 1,900–2,100 MASL
• Size: 227g (8oz)

INTRO

From Hacienda La Papaya in Ecuador's southern Saraguro highlands, this Gesha lot represents the pinnacle of Juan Peña's work at altitude. Grown between 1,900 and 2,100 metres in a dry-tropical Andean microclimate, the coffee undergoes a careful natural process — selectively harvested and slowly dried over 25 days on raised beds — that amplifies the Gesha's inherent complexity whilst maintaining extraordinary cup clarity.

The result is a fruit-forward, layered cup with pronounced mango sweetness, a vivid raspberry brightness, and a wisteria florality that defines the variety at its finest. The natural process intensifies the coffee's body and sweetness whilst the high altitude preserves a crystalline acidity.

THE PRODUCER

Juan Peña is one of Ecuador's most acclaimed specialty coffee producers, recognised with numerous top producer awards both nationally and internationally. His coffees have featured prominently in Barista and Brewers Cup competitions at the highest levels. Hacienda La Papaya, founded in 2010 in the Saraguro region of Loja province, is a pioneering farm built around research-driven innovation and genetic precision.

The farm's unique dry-tropical climate, drip irrigation systems, and robust genetic seed bank allow Juan to produce first-generation, high-performance varieties that are both disease resistant and nutrient efficient. He grows Typica, Sidra, and Gesha varieties at La Papaya, each selected and cultivated with meticulous care. Juan is also a generous community anchor — neighbouring producers use his nursery and micro-mill, and his farm manager Segundo Cartuche oversees an operation where scientific measurement and traditional craftsmanship operate side by side. The coffees produced at Hacienda La Papaya begin their lives in the genetics of the seeds themselves, and every step through to drying reflects that founding commitment to quality.

THE PROCESS

The Natural process at Hacienda La Papaya involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvesting — Cherry selectively picked at peak ripeness to ensure maximum sugar concentration.
• ✅ Sorting & Floating — Cherries sorted and floated to remove defects before processing.
• ☀️ Raised Bed Drying — Whole cherry dried on raised African beds for approximately 25 days at high altitude.
• 🌡️ Controlled Drying Environment — Cooler temperatures at altitude slow the drying process, enhancing flavour clarity and preventing over-fermentation.
• 📅 Extended Rest — Coffee rests post-drying to allow the profile to stabilise before milling.
• ✅ Milling & Grading — Final preparation and grading for export at the on-site micro-mill.

The interaction of the cherry's fruit sugars with the seed over this extended drying period produces the Gesha's signature pronounced fruitiness and full, textured body — whilst the high altitude ensures the cup retains its clarity and structure.

THE CUP

An exceptional expression of Gesha from Ecuador's high-altitude Andes, this natural from Juan Peña is layered, expressive, and deeply complex. Mango sweetness drives the cup with ripe tropical richness; raspberry brings a bright, vivid counterpoint; and a wisteria florality ties the profile together with a hauntingly delicate floral character.

Flavour Notes

• 🥭 Mango
• 🍓 Raspberry
• 💐 Wisteria