Colombia Gesha Neyid Pillimue

This exclusive micro-lot comes to us from the famed Inzá Valley in Cauca, Colombia. The mountains and high elevation valleys of the region are known for their majestic beauty and small coffee farms. The area is rich with volcanic soil and, due to its proximity to the equator, the climate is stable year-round. The surrounding mountains shield coffee crops from the humidity of the Pacific Ocean and the trade winds from the south. Cauca's cool overnight temperatures allow coffee cherries to ripen slowly, developing a high concentration of sugars and resulting in a sweet and complex cup.

This gesha varietal was grown by Neyid Pillimue on his small farm. His plot is part of the Pillimue family's larger coffee business. Growing coffee is a multi generational tradition in the family. Now the matriarch, Doña Maria Rosa inherited the family's first farm, Finca El Nogal, from her father. She and her husband Don Alfonso also run the general store in their small home town, San Antonio. Today their family has numerous small farms, owned and run by three generations.

The Pillimues also operate a local coffee buying warehouse and lab located next to their general store. Built and run by Nison Pillimue, it acts as a coffee receiving point for over 200 local producers. The venture includes a weighing/receiving area, offices, warehouse space, and a state of the art cupping lab equipped with a Probat 2-barrel sample roaster, a water filtration system, moisture meters, and more.

This coffee was selectively hand-harvested by Neyid and his family and processed using the washed method at his farm’s ‘micro-beneficio’ (mill). The coffee was pulped, fermented in a tank for around 48 hours, washed using clean natural water, and delivered to the Pillimue family's warehouse.

Upon delivery, a sample of the dried parchment coffee was assessed for uniformity of size, presence of defects, moisture content, and seed to hull ratio. The sample was roasted and cupped by a trained local team. After it was judged to be top-quality, the sample was sent to a lab in Medellín, to be further assessed by an expert team of cuppers, before being prepared for export.

Typical of a top quality gesha, the cup is delicate, sweet, and floral with notes of honeysuckle, Gala apple, Delicata squash, and caramel custard.