Guatemala — Felipe Contreras, Finca Gascón, Geisha (Lactic Natural)

Tastes Like — 🌸 Dried Jasmine • 🍑 White Peach • 🍊 Apricot • 🍬 Candy Sweetness

DETAILS

• Producer: Felipe Contreras
• Farm: Finca Gascón
• Region: Antigua, Guatemala
• Varietal: Geisha
• Process: Lactic Natural
• Altitude: 1,800–2,050 MASL
• Score: 89
  
• Size: 100g

INTRO

Finca Gascón is one of the most exciting farms in Central America — a completely organic, regeneratively managed estate just fifteen minutes from Antigua. Felipe Contreras's Geisha, processed here via lactic natural fermentation, is a truly exceptional cup: elegantly floral, intensely sweet, and possessed of a vivid juicy acidity that lingers long after the last sip.

THE PRODUCER

Felipe Contreras took over Finca Gascón from his father Gildardo, who first acquired the land near Antigua in 2012. The farm's 56 hectares sit on the volcanic soils of the Antigua valley at 1,800–2,050 metres, growing Bourbon, Pacamara, Typica, and Geisha. Since Felipe assumed management, the farm has embraced fully organic, regenerative principles — with a "biofábrica" producing all its own fertilisers, fungicides, and soil preparations from fermented plant matter.

The results speak for themselves: Finca Gascón's Geisha trees, originally a difficult proposition on these soils, have flourished under organic composting and agroforestry management. Felipe is now regarded as one of the most innovative young producers in Guatemala, regularly experimenting with small-batch fermentation techniques to push the boundaries of specialty coffee.

THE PROCESS

The Lactic Natural process at Finca Gascón involves:

• 🍒 Selective Hand Picking — Only fully ripe Geisha cherries are harvested
• ✅ Flotation Sorting — Cherries float-sorted to remove underdeveloped or damaged fruit
• 🧪 Lactic Fermentation — Whole cherries undergo a controlled anaerobic lactic fermentation in sealed containers, encouraging lactic acid bacteria to develop distinctive sweetness and complexity
• ☀️ Slow Drying — Fermented cherries are carefully dried on raised beds under controlled conditions to preserve the developed flavour compounds
• ✅ Quality Sorting — Rigorous selection at every stage to ensure lot consistency

The lactic fermentation approach imparts remarkable sweetness and a lively, fruit-forward complexity that enhances — rather than obscures — the intrinsic character of the Geisha variety.

THE CUP

An extraordinary Geisha: the lactic fermentation brings an exuberant sweetness and juiciness, whilst the variety's hallmark dried jasmine and white peach florals remain pristine. Bright apricot acidity gives the cup a vivid, lingering finish. Exceptional for the filter.

Flavour Notes

• 🌸 Dried Jasmine
• 🍑 White Peach
• 🍊 Apricot
• 🍬 Candy Sweetness