Ecuador — Juan Peña Yacuri Geisha (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍋 Bergamot • 🫐 Red Currant • 🍬 Green Candy • 🍐 Pear

DETAILS

• Producer: Juan Peña
• Farm: Yacuri
• Region: Upper Mayo-Chinchipe Basin, Loja, Ecuador
• Varietal: Geisha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,300–1,800 MASL
• Roast: Light
• Direct: $52.91/kg
• Size: 150g

INTRO

A third year featuring Juan Peña — and a first from Yacuri, his southernmost processing centre, situated at the transition between two distinct ecosystems. A different expression of La Papaya's Geisha programme: lower in altitude than the Saraguro Formation lots, but no less compelling. Clean, sweet, bright, and tart. In the cup: bergamot, lemon, tart red currants, and a sweetness like green candies and pear, with a bright acidity and a floral finish.

THE PRODUCER

Juan Peña is the pioneer of coffee cultivation in the Saraguro region — a producer whose commitment to agronomist-led quality management has earned him three consecutive Sprudge Notable Producer awards and consistent top-three finishes in international competitions since 2015. Yacuri is the southernmost of Juan's processing centres, uniquely positioned at the transition between two distinct ecosystems — a boundary that infuses its coffees with a contrast and depth that sets them apart from the Saraguro Formation lots. The farm's rare ecological position creates a microclimate and terroir combination that is unlike anything else in his portfolio.

As across all Juan's farms, Yacuri's processes are managed entirely by agronomists — from cherry selection through to drying — with the same spring water washing and careful density sorting that define the La Papaya approach applied here to produce the exceptional cleanliness and bright precision that define this Geisha.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Yacuri involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Geisha cherries selectively picked at peak ripeness immediately after harvest 🔍 Density sorting — All cherries sorted by density to ensure uniform fermentation and a balanced cup 🔧 Pulping — Outer skin and pulp removed using manual or electric pulping machines, leaving the mucilage layer intact 🧪 Fermentation — Beans fermented with mucilage present 💧 Spring water washing — Washed in spring water to ensure complete removal of residual mucilage and organisms ☀️ Drying — Dried for 9–18 days depending on weather and altitude

The spring water washing and density sorting are the defining steps — by sorting for uniformity before fermentation and washing with pure spring water afterward, Juan achieves the exceptional cleanliness and bright precision that allow Yacuri's distinct ecosystem character to express itself without interference.

THE CUP

A clean, bright, and memorably expressive washed Geisha from Juan Peña's southernmost and most ecologically distinctive farm — bergamot and lemon juicy citrus, tart red currant acidity, green candy and pear sweetness, and a bright, floral finish in a cup of exceptional clarity and contrast. A first from Yacuri, and a very compelling one.

Flavour Notes

🍋 Bergamot 🫐 Red Currant 🍬 Green Candy 🍐 Pear