Santa Barbara

Coffee profiles from Santa Barbara are among our favourite, however, the region is anything but easy to grow coffee in. In the high altitudes of Santa Barbara, producers can experience very cold temperatures combined with heavy rainfall that can combine to cause cherries not to ripen and for leaves to die on the tree. These same cold and wet conditions can also make processing very difficult.

Field Blend

Parainema is a rust resistant variety is well adapted to medium altitudes, has good quality potential at high altitudes. It is a Sarchimor related variety made by IHCAFE, the Honduran Coffee Institute.

​​The famed and highly sought-after Gesha variety is originally from Ethiopia. It was transported to Latin America in the 1950s where it was noted for its tolerance to leaf rust. In 2005, the variety was "rediscovered" when it won that year's Best of Panama competition. Since then, it has broken price records at auction year after year and has been planted by farmers across Latin America hoping to secure high prices.

The variety itself is highly demanding, and it requires high elevations in order to really deliver the exceptional floral, jasmine and stone fruit cup characteristics it is so famous for. There are actually several genetically distinct varieties that carry the name Gesha, and most have been traced back to landraces from the same geographic area in Ethiopia.

Washed

Alberto’s process starts by handpicking and selecting the ripest cherries and then floating and de-pulping them that same afternoon. It is then dry-fermented for between 15 hours, washed, and placed to dry on raised beds. Depending on the weather, the drying process lasts from 10 to 16 days.