Peru — Edgardo Cruz Meza Gesha (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🐉 Dragon Fruit • 🍋 Key Lime • 🌸 Jasmine

DETAILS

• Producer: Edgardo Cruz Meza
• Region: Jaén, Cajamarca, Peru
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,780 MASL
• Harvest: November 2025
• Size: 250g

INTRO

This is SEY's first year working with Edgardo Cruz Meza, and his coffee is one of the few selections they made from northern Peru in the Cajamarca region. In the cup, a strikingly vivid trio of dragon fruit, Key lime, and jasmine makes for one of the most expressive and exotic profiles of the season.

Edgardo was among the earliest producers to cultivate Gesha in Jaén — the northern Peruvian city that has quietly established Cajamarca as one of the country's most exciting emerging coffee regions. Grown at 1,780 metres above sea level and processed with meticulous care, this lot marks an exciting first chapter in the relationship.

THE PRODUCER

Edgardo Cruz Meza farms in the Jaén district of Cajamarca, in the northern highlands of Peru. Whilst most of SEY's buying in Peru has been concentrated in the southern regions around Cusco, Edgardo's coffee stood out immediately on the buying table — a testament to the quality he has built at his farm.

He was among the pioneering producers to bring Gesha cultivation to Jaén, a region that has increasingly attracted attention from some of the world's most discerning roasters. The combination of Cajamarca's distinct soils, moderate altitude, and Edgardo's careful attention to processing has produced something truly distinctive — Gesha expressed through a wholly different lens from its Panamanian origins or Cusco peers.

It is always exciting to encounter Gesha grown in new environments, and Edgardo's lot is a compelling case for what northern Peru can achieve at the highest levels of specialty coffee.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process for this lot involves:

• 🍒 Hand-Picking — Cherries selected at peak ripeness
• 💧 Floating — Floated to remove defects before pulping
• 🔧 De-Pulping — De-pulped on the day of harvest
• 🧪 Dry Fermentation — Fermented dry for 32 hours
• 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed after fermentation
• ☀️ Raised Bed Drying — Dried on raised beds to target moisture

The result is a clean, transparent cup that places Gesha's vivid aromatic and fruit character front and centre, without interference from the process itself.

THE CUP

This is a striking and vivid Gesha — exotic, articulate, and full of personality. Dragon fruit provides an eye-catching tropical anchor, whilst Key lime delivers a bright, zesty acidity, and jasmine weaves a delicate floral thread throughout.

Flavour Notes

• 🐉 Dragon Fruit
• 🍋 Key Lime
• 🌸 Jasmine