Pepe Jijon Gesha

Producer: Pepe Jijon

Finca: Soledad

Variety: Gesha

Region: Imbabura, Ecuador

Elevation: 1,515 Meters

Process: Washed 

Harvest: July 2024

Notes: Mangosteen, melon, stone fruit & iris.

Pepe has inspired the world of Specialty coffee with the his life-affirming farm, Soledad. Of his greatest hits, the Gesha. This year's harvest of his Gesha is full bodied with ripe stone fruit. The profile is long with tropical juice notations like mangosteen, kumquat, kiwano melon & citrus. There is a silky and round feel to this cup with an elegant florality. This coffee is so clean, making it easy to appreciate this terroir focused iteration of Gesha. Thank you Pepe & the Finca Soledad Team for sharing the hard work with us!

This coffee came in at a brix of 22°.  Depulped after a day in-cherry. Thereafter, 24hr.s of mucilage fermentation & lightly rinsed.  48hr.s in fully shaded, indirect drying. Then dried for 20 days in a climate controlled dark room. Lastly, the coffee was dried on raised beds for 5 days. Only rain water was attributed to this crop.

Pepe's story and coffee farm has been a beacon of possibility for many specialty farmers. Not only is he an excellent bio-dynamic farmer - he cares deeply. Pepe Jijon has taken his love for coffee and the planet to the next level. His philosophy on living harmoniously with the earth shows up in the brew. Below are some of his words on his farm and process.

"Soledad coffee philosophy Finca Soledad was born 2010 in the remote Intag valley, in a protected United Nations World Heritage GEOPARK. The farm is 120 hectares mainly of protected or replanted forests . We grow coffee in only 5 hectares, mejorada, Sydra, Gesha and Panamá Geisha . We work in harmony with the environment and that is where we get our inspiration from …. Nature Wave philosophy embraces our respect and understanding of the silent language of nature.

We aim to transform our coffee fruits into happy beans. In our processes we try to cause the least amount of stress to the living embryo so that when finally roasted it shines, brings synergy to the cup and happiness to the responsible consumer. The variables we use, environment, temperature, time, pressure are modulated without extreme changes to avoid stress. We focus on energy. For drying we apply the same care, using only indirect sunlight and extended times to control water activity with both washed or natural, great care day and night is required.

Every lot we make is unique. An expression of the moment, the energy of the pickers, the balance of microorganisms, the weather …. All interact to create a work of art of nature & nurture"

 -Pepe