When Peruvian coffee producer Jeinner Cubas Vasquez, the son of coffee producers and a member of the Sol&Cafe cooperative in Jaen, Peru, first heard about the gesha varietal of coffee, he knew he wanted to grow it. He received his first gesha seeds from Panama and planted them in 2012. Three years later, in 2015, he had his first taste and was hooked.
Last year, Jeinner grew and processed just under 500 pounds (three burlap sacks) of this coffee. And just when it was ready for export, a torrential flood overtook Jeinner's village and destroyed two out of three of those precious bags. (The third bag was protected from any moisture damage.) Higher Grounds had the distinct pleasure of being the highest bidder in our cooperative-run auction, earning exclusive access to the only bag of Jeinner's coffee and paying a sizable premium to help recoup his loss and reward his exceptional work crafting this special offering.
We've brewed it a few different ways, and it's all been delicious, but mostly we recommend a filter brew (our favorites are V60 and Clever Dripper), using a 16:1 water:coffee ratio. Taste notes: candy-like sweetness, orange blossom, honeysuckle, juicy. If you're anything like us, you'll sip slowly and savor this coffee to the very last drop.
All of this began with Jeinner's curiosity to produce this type of coffee, and his interest in what it meant to produce high quality coffee in general. Jeinner was also interested in developing the same excitement among other producers. At first, he noticed that people didn't seem to care much, but over the years, quality contests in Peru drew more attention to this variety, and more people began paying attention. Currently, gesha is now being planted in many places in Peru.
The harvest of this coffee occurs between August and October. Jeinner’s parents, also Sol&Cafe members, live nearby at their farm and support him with the work during harvest.
Jeinner, who has been a member of Sol&Cafe since 2010, says that there is a lot of excitement and joy surrounding this coffee. He is very happy to offer an exceptional quality. And we are so happy to share it with you.