Peru La Margarita, Geisha Lot #2523 Anaerobic Washed (Anaerobic Washed)

Tastes Like — 🌼 White Floral • 🍋 Lime • 🍑 Apricot • 🍵 Floral Tea

DETAILS

• Producer: Solórzano Family (Neto & Ivan Solórzano)
• Farm: La Margarita Coffee Reserve
• Region: Ocobamba, Valle De Ocobamba, Cusco, Peru
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Anaerobic Washed
• Altitude: 1,950 MASL
• Harvest: Aug-Sep 2025
• Size: 100g

INTRO

From the Solórzano family's pioneering La Margarita Coffee Reserve in Cusco's Valle de Ocobamba — a farm that rose to international attention with a top-ranking Geisha at the 2022 Peru Cup of Excellence — this anaerobic washed Lot #2523 is a study in controlled, expressive fermentation. The cup leads with ripe blueberry and chocolate, opening into caramel sweetness and delicate florals through a long, refined finish.

THE PRODUCER

La Margarita Coffee Reserve was founded in 2017 by Marco Solórzano, a third-generation grower with over four decades in Peruvian coffee, and is now led by his sons Iván and Neto Solórzano. Their philosophy combines specialty coffee production with environmental regeneration — rehabilitating over 50 hectares of forested land whilst planting rare varieties like Geisha and Sidra at elevations between 1,840 and 2,100 metres.

The forested microclimate provides around five hours of sunlight per day, encouraging slow cherry maturation. Native trees like Pacae and Pisunay shade the coffee plants, fix nitrogen into the soil, and support broader biodiversity. In 2022, the family's washed Geisha lots ranked amongst the top at the Peru Cup of Excellence — recognition that catalysed a broader reassessment of specialty processing practices across Peru.

THE PROCESS

The Anaerobic Washed process at La Margarita Coffee Reserve involves:

• 🍒 Selective picking — Cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, sorted, and cleaned on the same day.
• 🧪 Anaerobic fermentation in cherry — Whole cherries undergo anaerobic fermentation in sealed containers prior to depulping, developing sweetness and complexity.
• 🔧 Depulping and mid-fermentation — After depulping, the parchment continues a mid-stage fermentation, bringing the total ferment cycle to around 52 hours.
• ❄️ Solórzano slow dry — Parchment is laid across six-tier steel drying beds and slowly dried over approximately 22 days — the family's signature slow-dry process.
• 📦 Rested and vacuum-sealed — After drying, beans are rested, sorted, and vacuum-sealed to lock in quality for export.

The result is a cup that expresses the terroir of Ocobamba, Valle De Ocobamba, Cusco, Peru with precision and clarity.

THE CUP

A delicate, elegantly lifted Geisha that leans into the variety's signature clarity rather than the deeper, fermented notes an anaerobic process can sometimes bring. White-floral aromatics open the cup — jasmine-adjacent, airy, and fragrant. Bright lime acidity cuts through the middle with a clean, juicy lift, followed by soft apricot sweetness that carries into a long, perfumed floral-tea finish. Restrained, refined, and quietly expressive.

Flavour Notes

• 🌼 White Floral
• 🍋 Lime
• 🍑 Apricot
• 🍵 Floral Tea