SEPTEMBER - Rafael Velasco | Colombia - Semi-Washed - Geisha

SEPTEMBER Coffee Roasters is located in Ottawa, Canada

From SEPTEMBER

Our first time working with Rafael Velasco of Finca La Colina, this is a coffee producer introduced to us through our long time partner and friend, Eyder Martinez. In the cup we are finding jasmine, juicy berries, purple koolaid, and intense florals. This is a very beautiful presentation of Geisha.

In the cup

We get beautiful florals that reminds us of jasmine with an intense sweetness that reminds us of berries and purple fruit (and a bit like koolaid). This coffee is vibrant, clean, memorable, and floral with a long sweet finish.

Processing

Cherries undergo fermentation for 48 hours in a controlled environment. Cherries are pulped without water, retaining a controlled amount of mucilage. The parchment coffee is placed in sealed tanks or plastic containers for an additional 24-hour fermentation. Coffee is spread on raised African beds or drying patios in thin layers (maximum 3 cm). Slow, controlled drying process: Days 1–7: Low temperature drying (max. 35°C) to preserve aromatic compounds. Day 8 onwards: Gradual drying until reaching 12% moisture content.

Variety

This variety was originally collected from coffee forests in Ethiopia in the 1930s. From there, it was sent to the Lyamungu research station in Tanzania, and then brought to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in the 1953, where it was logged as accession T2722. It was distributed throughout Panama via CATIE in the 1960s after it had been recognized for tolerance to coffee leaf rust. However, the plant's branches were brittle and not favored by farmers so it was not widely planted. The coffee came to prominence in 2005 when the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered it into the "Best of Panama" competition and auction. It received exceptionally high marks and broke the then-record for green coffee auction prices, selling for over $20/pound.There is significant confusion about Geisha because there are multiple genetically distinct plant types that have been referred to as Geisha, many of which share similar geographic origins in Ethiopia. Recent genetic diversity analyses conducted by World Coffee Research confirm that Panamanian Geisha descendent from T2722 is distinct and uniform. It is associated with extremely high cup quality when the plants are managed well at high altitude, and is known for its delicate floral, jasmine, and peach-like aromas.