Llacta Pata SL9 | Peru

Peru — Gilber Huayllas Llacta Pata SL9 (Honey)

Tastes Like — 🍵 White Tea • 🍑 Peach • 🍋 Lime Cordial

DETAILS

• Producer: Gilber Huayllas
• Farm: Llacta Pata
• Region: Pacaybamba, Incahuasi Valley, Cusco, Peru
• Varietal: SL9
• Process: Honey
• Altitude: 2,300 MASL
• Size: 200g

INTRO

A top-three Cup of Excellence lot from Gilber Huayllas at Llacta Pata — one of Peru's most remote and remarkable farms, situated high in the Incahuasi Valley above Cusco. Processed using a controlled dry honey fermentation in the cool, stable conditions that make Llacta Pata so distinctive, this SL9 is aromatic, intensely sweet, and layered with elegance. In the cup: white tea, peach, and lime cordial.

THE PRODUCER

To reach Gilber Huayllas' farm, you first travel to Cusco — the ancient capital of the Inca empire — before a scenic drive through the iconic landscape surrounding Machu Picchu. Llacta Pata sits at 2,300 MASL, where the extreme altitude slows cherry maturation to such a degree that Gilber is among the last producers in Peru to harvest each season. The cool climate and stable temperatures at this elevation allow for consistent, even drying throughout processing — conditions that are central to the precision and quality this farm consistently achieves.

SL9, often called "Inca Geisha" by Peruvian farmers, is a variety whose origins remain a mystery. Its flavour profile carries the florality and aromatic complexity associated with Geisha, though genetic testing has revealed a close match to the SL-09 cultivar from Kenya. Wherever it came from, it has found an exceptional home at Llacta Pata.

THE PROCESS

The Honey process at Llacta Pata involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries harvested at peak ripeness, among the last in Peru each season due to extreme altitude 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed while the mucilage layer is retained on the bean 🌬️ Dry honey fermentation — Coffee fermented dry with mucilage intact under the cool, stable conditions of the Incahuasi Valley ☀️ Drying — Dried slowly and evenly in the cool climate, ensuring consistency throughout

The dry honey fermentation is the defining step — the retained mucilage ferments without water in a controlled environment, adding an additional layer of sweetness to the cup while the cool highland temperatures keep the process even and clean, preserving the SL9's delicate aromatic complexity.

THE CUP

A Cup of Excellence podium lot from one of Peru's highest and most exceptional farms — aromatic, refined, and extraordinarily sweet, with white tea elegance, soft peach warmth, and a bright lime cordial finish. A rare opportunity to taste what makes Llacta Pata and the SL9 varietal so compelling.

Flavour Notes

🍵 White Tea 🍑 Peach 🍋 Lime Cordial