WHITE HONEY GESHA
BLUEBERRY, LEMON CURD & BERGAMOT
Country: Colombia
Region: Calarca, Quindio
Altitude: 1650 - 2000 MASL
Processing: White Honey
Owner: Sebastian Ramirez
Variety: Gesha
Farm: El Placer
Sebastian Ramirez, a native of Quindio, a department known for its rich coffee culture, represents the fourth generation of family coffee growers. Six years ago, life's twists led him to take over the family farm, El Placer, located in the Buenos Aires de Calarcá village. Sebastian was in his seventh semester of law school when he had to shift his focus to the farm.
Despite having forty blocks on the farm, a lot of coffee, and more than seventy workers, Sebastian found it challenging to make ends meet. In Colombia, living solely off coffee is very difficult. His curiosity about specialty coffee was piqued after visiting Alma Café in Armenia, where he met an instructor from SENA who introduced him to cupping.
Sebastian dedicated himself to learning about specialty coffee, driven by love and perseverance. He made significant changes to the farm's operations. They rented out half of the farm and started cultivating specialty coffees of various varieties on the other half. They also grew bananas and plantains and sold coffee to local businesses.
Sebastian and his team discovered a new opportunity a year ago. They decided to transform their 350-year-old house with many empty rooms into a hostel. This new venture offers tourists a complete coffee experience, from seed to cup, allowing them to discover the reality of coffee production firsthand.
Sebastian has become one of Colombia's most renowned specialty coffee producers. His motivation remains to produce excellent coffee and uphold the name of El Placer farm.
Coffee Production Process
1. Harvesting: Picking ripe cherries (95% ripe - 5% semi-ripe).
2. Anaerobic Fermentation: Using 200-liter canecas for 48 hours at a constant temperature of 18°C with CO2 injection.
3. Drying Phase:
- Canopy Drying: Control drying for approximately 5 days, 48 hours immersed in water with an oxygen pump.
- Marquee Drying: Coffee drying control at 40°C and 25% humidity for approximately 20 days.
- Parabolic Drying: Slow and controlled drying with polyshade for approximately 5 days.