Colombia — Yilver Pajoy Gesha

Tastes Like — 🍈 Starfruit • 🍊 Bergamot • 🍋 Pomelo

DETAILS

• Producer: Yilver Pajoy
• Farm: Finca El Arrayán
• Region: Alto Cañada, La Plata, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Washed (36-hour cherry fermentation, 36-hour underwater fermentation)
• Altitude: 1860 masl
• Size: 125g

INTRO — Copa de Oro Fifth Place & a Family Triumph

Yilver Pajoy's Gesha secured fifth place in the Copa de Oro competition—but the real story is even better. This is the first year that Yilver and his cousins Didier and Yesid Pajoy all placed together in Copa de Oro, creating a family triumph that demonstrates both exceptional terroir in Alto Cañada and shared commitment to quality across the Pajoy family farms.

After 36 hours fermenting in cherry followed by another 36 hours underwater post-depulping, then 18 days drying in a greenhouse, this Gesha delivers loud, sweet citrus up front with tropical fruit backing it up. Pineapple and starfruit mingle with pink and purple flowers whilst hot; jasmine and bergamot rise to the surface as it cools; pomelo and Taiwanese oolong tea linger sweetly on the finish.

THE PRODUCER — Yilver Pajoy & Finca El Arrayán

Yilver Pajoy has been growing coffee at Finca El Arrayán for 14 years—building expertise, refining techniques, and developing the quality-focused approach that's now yielding competition success. His farm sits at 1,860 metres above sea level in Alto Cañada, La Plata, with over 2,500 coffee plants spread across the property.

The varietal diversity at El Arrayán demonstrates strategic thinking: Caturra provides reliable yields and proven quality, Chiroso offers distinctive cup characteristics and premium pricing potential, and Gesha delivers competition-winning lots like this one. Each variety serves a purpose, and Yilver's 14 years of experience mean he understands how to cultivate and process each one to maximise its potential.

What makes this Copa de Oro placement particularly special is the family context. Yilver's cousins Didier and Yesid Pajoy also work with Osito Coffee (the exporter connecting these producers to international markets), and 2025 marks the first year all three cousins placed together in the competition. This isn't coincidence—it represents shared knowledge, collaborative learning, and probably friendly competition that pushes each cousin to improve.

The family success also validates the Alto Cañada terroir. When multiple producers in the same area achieve competition success, it demonstrates that the region possesses the fundamental conditions for exceptional coffee: altitude, soil, climate, water quality. The Pajoy cousins have learned to work with what their land provides, developing processing protocols that showcase their terroir's potential.

THE PROCESS — Balanced Fermentation Protocol

Yilver's processing mirrors Emiliano Lame's approach (the second-place winner) but with perfectly balanced timing—36 hours for each fermentation stage rather than the asymmetrical 36/40 split:

• 🍒 Selective Harvesting — Only peak-ripeness Gesha cherries picked
• 🌊 Quality Control — Cherries sorted for uniformity
• 💧 36-Hour Cherry Fermentation — Whole cherries ferment before depulping
• ⚙️ Depulping & Washing — Complete pulp removal after cherry fermentation
• 🔬 36-Hour Underwater Fermentation — Parchment ferments underwater for additional development
• 🏠 18-Day Greenhouse Drying — Extended raised bed drying in controlled environment

The symmetrical 36/36 timing creates beautiful balance in the cup. The initial cherry fermentation develops fruit complexity whilst the cherry structure protects the seed. After depulping, the underwater fermentation stage builds brightness and aromatic intensity without the aggressive fermentation that longer periods might create.

The 18-day greenhouse drying is slightly longer than Emiliano's 12–15 days, suggesting Yilver prioritises slow, gradual moisture removal over speed. This extended drying preserves the delicate aromatics developed during fermentation—those jasmine and bergamot notes that rise as the coffee cools, the pomelo and oolong tea character in the finish.

THE VARIETY — Gesha Delivering Competition Results

Gesha continues to dominate competition coffees for good reason: when cultivated at proper altitude and processed meticulously, the variety delivers complexity, florals, and distinctive character that judges consistently reward. Yilver's 14 years of experience show in understanding exactly what Gesha needs—from cultivation through harvest timing to processing protocols.

At 1,860 metres, Finca El Arrayán sits in the sweet spot for Gesha cultivation. The altitude provides cool temperatures that slow cherry maturation, allowing complex sugar and acid development. The elevation also ensures the pronounced florals and bright acidity that define exceptional Gesha—characteristics fully expressed in this fifth-place lot.

THE CUP — Tropical Citrus Evolving into Jasmine and Oolong

This cup showcases Gesha's ability to evolve as it cools, revealing different characteristics at different temperatures. Initially, loud and sweet citrus dominates with tropical fruit backing it. As temperature drops, the profile shifts towards florals and tea. The finish brings everything together with pomelo and Taiwanese oolong elegance.

Flavour Notes

• 🍈 Starfruit — distinctive tropical fruit with citrus-like tartness
• 🍊 Bergamot — aromatic citrus emerging as the cup cools
• 🍋 Pomelo — complex grapefruit-like citrus lingering in the finish

The starfruit character is particularly distinctive—it has that unique combination of tropical sweetness and citrus tartness that makes starfruit immediately recognizable. Pineapple adds classic tropical fruit whilst hot, creating an initial impression that's bright, sweet, and fruit-forward. Pink and purple flowers mingle throughout, adding aromatic complexity.

As the cup cools, the profile shifts beautifully. Jasmine becomes dominant—those pronounced floral notes that Gesha is famous for, rising to the surface as temperature drops. Bergamot adds aromatic citrus complexity, more sophisticated than simple lemon or orange. The finish is where everything resolves: pomelo provides complex, slightly bitter citrus character whilst Taiwanese oolong tea notes add refined, elegant closure.

The body is delicate and silky, characteristic of well-processed Gesha. The acidity is loud and sweet initially, then settles into structured brightness that carries the florals and citrus beautifully. The overall impression is of meticulous quality—a competition coffee that earns its placement through complexity, balance, and evolution.

Yilver Pajoy's Copa de Oro success, shared with his cousins, demonstrates what family collaboration and 14 years of dedicated learning can achieve. This fifth-place Gesha proves that Alto Cañada possesses exceptional terroir and the Pajoy family has mastered how to showcase it.

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 6-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12 - should we have any left in stock!). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.