Finca Isabel, Geisha Washed Special Reserve | Bolivia

Bolivia — Fernando Calle & Gabriela Durán Finca Isabel Geisha (Washed) — Special Reserve, La Cuesta

Tastes Like — 🌸 Jasmine • 🌿 Lemongrass • 🍑 Peach • 🍇 Blackcurrant

DETAILS

• Producer: Fernando Calle & Gabriela Durán
• Farm/Plot: Finca Isabel — La Cuesta
• Region: Loayza, Caranavi, Bolivia
• Varietal: Geisha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,700–1,850 MASL
• Harvest: 2026
• Lot: Special Reserve
• Size: 100g

INTRO

This Special Reserve Geisha from the La Cuesta plot of Finca Isabel is one of Bolivia's most exceptional coffee achievements. Grown in Loayza, Caranavi — a region whose high fruit-sugar potential and ideal climate Fernando Calle recognised as world-class — this Washed Geisha delivers an extraordinary combination of jasmine florals, lemongrass aromatics, and pristine peach and blackcurrant fruit.

Finca Isabel was founded in 2015 by Fernando and Gabriela Durán after Fernando's decades of study at Zamorano, CATIE, and Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. The farm is divided into small named plots, each with its own character and terroir — and La Cuesta is among the finest of them all.

THE PRODUCER

Fernando Calle is a native of Caranavi who always believed in the region's potential: "The area stands out for its high sugar content in fruit trees and an ideal climate for coffee," he says. After studying at Zamorano and CATIE and gaining experience at the legendary Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, Fernando returned home to found Finca Isabel with Gabriela Durán in 2015, driven by commitment to quality, innovation, and respect for the land.

Finca Isabel is organised into named plots — Rosario, Naranja, La Cuesta and others — each selected for its specific terroir. Fernando has since expanded with a second property in Coroico, where coffees grow at altitudes up to 2,100 MASL.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Finca Isabel — La Cuesta involves:

• 🍒 Selective hand-picking — Only fully ripe Geisha cherries are harvested from the La Cuesta plot
• ✅ Density and ripeness sorting — Cherries are sorted rigorously before processing
• 🔧 Pulping — The fruit skin is removed to expose mucilage-coated parchment
• 🧪 Fermentation — Parchment ferments under controlled conditions
• 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed to produce a clean, clear cup
• ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Parchment is dried slowly at 1,700–1,850 MASL altitude

The Washed process at La Cuesta is designed to let the Geisha variety's innate florality and delicate fruit character express themselves with maximum clarity.

THE CUP

A pristinely clean and bright Washed Geisha of extraordinary aromatic presence. Jasmine and lemongrass open the cup with perfumed elegance, followed by ripe peach sweetness and a deep blackcurrant thread that persists long into the finish.

Flavour Notes

• 🌸 Jasmine
• 🌿 Lemongrass
• 🍑 Peach
• 🍇 Blackcurrant