Origin: Colombia
Farm/Region: Finca Juan Martin
Tasting Notes: Corella pear, orange, and jasmine
Producer: Banexport
Varietal: Gesha
Processing: Fully Washed
Altitude: 2050 MASL
The Finca Juan Martin coffee farm is a hub for innovation and experimentation. Owned and operated by Banexport, the farm is dedicated to testing and refining the best cultivation, harvesting, and processing techniques for microclimates' long- term sustainability. The Finca Juan Martin farm aspire to produce top-tier coffee and serve as a model for other producers who work with Banexport--like a template for what can be achieved with Banexport.
Cauca: The Cauca region in central western Colombia is one of the country’s most unique coffee growing areas. It stretches from the Western Cordillera mountains to the Pacific Ocean, containing a diverse range of climates perfect for cultivating quality coffee.
Cauca is unique: High elevation and ocean winds give Cauca one of Colombia’s coolest coffee climates. On the Popayan Plateau, volcanic mountain ranges, and abundant rivers nourish rich and fertile soil. And at its peak, Finca Juan Martin is found, way up in the highest part of Sotara Cauca, just 30 minutes from Popayan.
One of the core focuses of Finca Juan Martin is providing local jobs and educational opportunities within the framework of eco-friendly farming.
Eco from the ground up: Every aspect of farming is carefully managed to protect the land and improve coffee quality. For example, since the farm sits on steep slopes, extra care is taken to prevent erosion and ensure soil conservation. Another example is their focus on biodiversity, and the planting and maintaining of native plant populations to encourage support structures, canopy layering, and diverse abundant pollinators.
Prevention: A management approach that resembles 'prevention rather than cure' is employed. Regularly scheduled pest and disease evaluations are undertaken to facilitate early detection and the removal of any potential threats before they take hold.
Like a well-oiled machine: At home in this same proactive management style, coffee trees are pruned and cleaned every 75 days. This keeps them in peak condition. Coffee tree rows are also cleared and trimmed carefully by hand and scyth every two months.
Like a fine suit: Finca Juan Martin follows a highly controlled approach to coffee cultivation and processing, tailoring each step to match the needs of different coffee varieties. Factors like Brix level (sugar content), moisture levels, and desired cup characteristics all influence what coffee is planted, how the coffee is harvested, and how it is processed.
Washed oxidation: Producers at Finca Juan Martin discovered that a deliberate, methodical, and extended oxidation period enhances the coffee's flavours and in-cup clarity. By extending the oxidation period, producers allow natural enzymes to enhance the bean's unique aromatic compounds--this seems to further accentuate the Gesha varietals floirals complexities and nuance.
Gesha: Originally from the Gori Gesha forest in Ethiopia, Gesha seedlings were first collected in the 1930s by the British Consul Richard Whally. In the 1950s, Gesha reached the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre in Costa Rica. Ten years or so later, a Costa Rican government official visited the facility in search of new potential varietals to grow in Costa Rica. Intrigued by Gesha's potential, the government official selected a handful of lucky producers and dispensed the unusual seeds. One such producer to receive the elliptical seeds was the relatively unknown but now legendary Hacienda La Esmeralda. This coffee varietal migration would ultimately bring it to the specialty coffee world's collective consciousness.
Gesha in Colombia: The Gesha varietal was introduced to Colombia as part of a ten-year project to increase botanical diversity in Colombia--fortunately for us, the results were way too good to ignore.