Peru — David Flores El Morito La Mandarina Geisha (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍋 Yuzu • 💜 Lavender • 🫧 Ramune Soda

DETAILS

• Producer: David Flores
• Farm/Plot: El Morito — La Mandarina
• Region: Cajamarca, Peru
• Varietal: Geisha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,850 MASL
• Size: 100g

INTRO

A second-year direct trade selection from the La Mandarina plot at El Morito Farm in Cajamarca — an exceptional washed Geisha shaped by extreme altitude and remarkable bean density. This year's harvest is particularly bold, anchoring its floral complexity in a deep, pervasive sweetness. In the cup: a crisp yuzu opening, vibrant lavender florals at the heart, and a wholly unique Ramune soda finish.

THE PRODUCER

El Morito Farm is situated in Cajamarca, one of Peru's most exciting high-altitude coffee-growing regions, where extreme elevation and cool temperatures slow cherry development and concentrate sugars to produce beans of exceptional density and clarity. At the heart of the farm is David Flores, whose La Mandarina plot has become a standout source for Apollon's Gold in their ongoing direct trade relationship. The coffees from El Morito are defined by pristine cup clarity, a lush rounded body, and a consistency of sweetness that makes each harvest a compelling proposition — with this year's lot representing the most expressive chapter yet.

Geisha, first cultivated in Ethiopia's Gesha forest and later celebrated worldwide through Panama, thrives at the high altitudes of Cajamarca, where the variety's hallmark florality and refined acidity are given the slow development they require.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at El Morito involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 💧 Flotation sorting — Low-density cherries removed before pulping 🔧 Depulping — Outer fruit skin removed from the bean 🧪 Fermentation — Beans fermented in water to break down the remaining mucilage 💦 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove all fermentation residue ☀️ Drying — Dried to optimal moisture content, preserving clarity and structure

The meticulous washing and fermentation management is the defining step — stripping back the fruit to leave the intrinsic character of the Geisha varietal and terroir fully exposed, producing the pristine clarity and vivid floral expression that define this lot.

THE CUP

A singular washed Geisha from the Peruvian highlands — elegant and electric in equal measure. Yuzu brightness gives way to classic lavender florality before resolving in a Ramune soda finish that is entirely unique to this harvest. A coffee that honours the Geisha tradition while charting its own unmistakable course.

Flavour Notes

🍋 Yuzu 💜 Lavender 🫧 Ramune Soda