Peru — Magna Maldonado Padilla Gesha (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🌸 Apple Blossom • 🍒 Cherry • 🍋 Key Lime

DETAILS

• Producer: Magna Maldonado Padilla
• Region: Cajamarca, Peru
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,860 MASL
• Harvest: September 2025
• Size: 250g

INTRO

A striking expression of Gesha from northern Peru — one of only a handful of coffees SEY have ever sourced from this part of the country, and a compelling argument for exploring it further. Brought to their attention by a close friend, Magna Maldonado Padilla's lot proved immediately impressive — and a farm visit is already anticipated. In the cup: apple blossom, cherry, and Key lime.

THE PRODUCER

Magna Maldonado Padilla farms in Cajamarca — the northern Peruvian region whose specialty coffee reputation has been steadily growing, yet one that SEY have rarely worked in. Northern Peru remains largely unexplored territory for the team, making this lot a genuinely rare and exciting discovery. The quality and character of Magna's Gesha speaks clearly of both exceptional growing conditions at 1,860 MASL and careful, precise post-harvest handling — and it is a lot that has already inspired the team to learn more.

Gesha, first collected from the coffee forests of Ethiopia in the 1930s and brought to global prominence at the 2005 Best of Panama competition, has found a compelling and growing presence in Peru's high-altitude growing regions. At 1,860 MASL in Cajamarca, the cool mountain climate and volcanic soils allow the variety's hallmark florality and delicate citrus brightness to express themselves with full clarity and precision.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Magna's farm involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Gesha cherries hand-picked at peak ripeness 💧 Flotation — Floated to further remove defects before processing 🔧 De-pulping — Depulped on the day of harvest to preserve freshness and clarity 💧 Wet fermentation — Wet-fermented for 32 hours 💦 Washing — Thoroughly washed after fermentation to remove all residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds until moisture content reaches 10.5%

The same-day depulping and 32-hour wet fermentation are the defining steps — processing the cherries immediately after harvest and fermenting fully submerged in water builds the apple blossom florality and cherry brightness that define this lot, while the careful raised-bed drying preserves the Key lime acidity and clean, elegant structure that carry through to the finish.

THE CUP

A striking and beautifully precise washed Gesha from the rarely explored north of Peru — apple blossom florality, cherry sweetness, and a bright Key lime acidity in a clean, well-defined cup that makes a very compelling case for Cajamarca as a Gesha-growing region worth watching. A first and very promising encounter with Magna Maldonado Padilla.

Flavour Notes

🌸 Apple Blossom 🍒 Cherry 🍋 Key Lime