Producer: Hacienda La Esmeralda
Farm: Jaramillo
Region: Jaramillo
Altitude: 5,413 feet | 1,650 masl
Varietal: Gesha
Process: Washed
Roast: Light
Notes: Clementine, Honey, Chamomile

From the producers, Hacienda La Esmeralda:

"The air up in Jaramillo is moist and chilly, perfect for making the aromatics of the Gesha variety sing. The farm jumps up from rolling hills on its lower part to steep 40-degree inclines, making harvesting a manual and challenging affair.

"To this day many of our top performing microlots come from little patches on the slopes of Jaramillo."

"During the washed process, cherries are added to a receiving tank and water carries them down a funnel. 'Floaters'—unripe cherries that float on the surface—are discarded. The remaining cherries have their skin and pulp mechanically separated by a machine.

"The skin and pulp is collected to be used as fertilizer for the farms and pastures. The coffee is now comprised of the bean, surrounded by a layer of parchment, and covered in sticky mucilage. Coffees then go to a mechanical demucilager to have their mucilage scrubbed off. The coffee then rests in holding tanks, ready to be put to dry in the morning."

Due to the high premium these coffees garner during auction, Hacienda La Esmeralda is able to pay its harvesters three times the typical wage, ensuring a good standard of living as well as the highest quality work.

La Esmeralda's industry-leading environmental sustainability practices and support for employees and their families have made us proud to partner with the Peterson family for many years.

Read more about their sustainability initiatives on their website.