Jorge Rojas - Geisha

In the cup

In the cup we taste sweet Pink Starburst candies, white florals, and bergamot. This coffee is clean, and has a light body with a sparkling finish.

About The Producer

Jorge Rojas is a fourth-generation coffee producer. His coffee journey began when he was just 13 years old. His mother gave him the opportunity to work on their family farm, where he learned about the meticulous process of coffee growing, harvesting, and bagging. During that time, he began to work as a bag handler at one of the local associations in town to gain more experience. Over the years, he learned everything he needed to run a coffee farm. Jorge was introduced to the world of specialty coffee in 2016. Ever since, he has been experimenting with new ways to improve his cup quality.

Processing

Jorge has developed his own fermentation and drying process, which always starts with a very strict selection of coffee cherries during harvest season. For this particular lot, the selected cherries ferment in a sealed, oxygen-free tank which allows specific microbes to break down the naturally occurring sugars and acids. The cherries are then pulped and washed before undergoing a meticulous and carefully monitored drying process.

Variety

This variety was originally collected from coffee forests in Ethiopia in the 1930s. From there, it was sent to the Lyamungu research station in Tanzania and then brought to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in 1953. It was distributed throughout Panama via CATIE in the 1960s after it had been recognized for tolerance to coffee leaf rust. However, the plant's branches were brittle and not favored by farmers so it was not widely planted. The coffee came to prominence in 2004 when the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered it into the "Best of Panama" competition and auction. It received exceptionally high marks and broke the then-record for green coffee auction prices, selling for over $20/pound. There is significant confusion about the Geisha variety because there are multiple genetically distinct plant types that have been referred to as Geisha, many of which share similar geographic origins in Ethiopia. Recent genetic diversity analyses conducted by World Coffee Research confirm that Panamanian Geisha descendent from T2722 is distinct and uniform. It is associated with extremely high cup quality when the plants are managed well at high altitude, and is known for its delicate floral, jasmine, and peach-like aromas.

Transparency

We Paid

$39.69 USD/kg

Roasted Costs

$48.15 USD/kg