Geisha as you’ve never tasted it before. WILL ARMIJO WASHED from the Nordbeans roastery in Liberec showcases this famous variety in an unusually sweet and full-bodied form. In the cup, juicy orange meets sweet yellow melon with a distinct hint of brown sugar. The variety’s typical smoothness and clarity are complemented here by pronounced sweetness, a medium-bodied profile, and a long, sweet finish.
Producer Will Armijo grows this Geisha on the El Paraíso farm in Santa Barbara, Honduras, in a mountainous region near Lake Yojoa. The farm lies at an elevation of approximately 1 ,600 meters above sea level, and thanks to the cool nights, the coffee cherries ripen more slowly here, giving them more time to develop their sweetness and a more complex flavor profile. At the same time, the conditions for drying the cherries near the jungle are challenging, which lends the local crop its exceptional character. Will didn’t come to coffee through a family farming tradition, but through agronomy, and this analytical approach is characteristic of him. He monitors the soil’s pH, records the fermentation process in detail, and evaluates each step on the farm based on data so that he can take every subsequent lot a step further.
The Geisha variety is among the best-known and most sought-after specialty coffee varieties. It originates in Ethiopia and is typically associated with very delicate, floral, and tea-like notes, heightened aromatics, and clean citrus acidity. What’s interesting about this Honduran lot, however, is that in addition to its typical lightness, it also retains a more pronounced sweetness and fuller body, giving it a slightly rounder profile than you might expect from a Geisha. Will Armijo chose the washed processing method for this microlot. After harvest, the skin and pulp are removed from the cherries; the beans are thoroughly washed in clean water and then dried for several days on African drying beds. The goal of this method is to preserve the purity and natural character of the variety as much as possible. That’s precisely why the fresh citrus notes, lightness, and long, sweet aftertaste really shine through here.
- Farm: El Paraíso
- Producer: Will Armijo
- Altitude: 1,600–1,800 m above sea level