It is rare and fun to taste all of these profiles together. This year’s production was small, so we created this super blend from tiny, highest-quality lots. The result is a deep, almost jam-like sweetness with blueberry, pink grapefruit, and herbal notes.
Gesha, Typica, Caturron, Striped Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon
Las Mercedes, Garzón, Huila
1,900 - 2,020 masl
June, 2024
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated to further remove defects. Submerged in 2% salt water solution for 24 hours to kill pathogens while promoting growth of the salt-tolerant bacteria Lactobacillus. De-pulped. Dry-fermented in parchment for 24 hours. Washed. Dried on shaded raised beds until moisture content reaches ~10%.
ABOUT TICUNA
We have watched since the beginning as this project has developed and grown. Not only is it difficult to produce coffee of this quality, but the varieties Kyle and José have chosen to work with are among the most difficult varieties to grow anywhere. Ticuna is quite literally a dream come true for anyone who is interested in terroir and varieties. We look forward to the day when yields will be high enough to separate these varieties!
ABOUT THIS FIELD BLEND
This is a blend of several of the varieties being cultivated at El Esquilino.While a handful of the varieties have been genetically verified, there are a number that remain unknown. As the farm starts to produce more, we hope to be able to get more accurate genetic information on these varieties.
Typica reached Brazil in the early 1700’s, and quickly spread throughout most of Central and South America. Until the 1940’s, the majority of coffee plantations in Central America were planted with Typica. However, because this variety is both low yielding and highly susceptible to major coffee diseases, it has gradually been replaced across much of the Americas with Bourbon varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and also hybrids.
Gesha was originally collected from coffee forests of Ethiopia in the 1930's. From there, it was sent to the Lyamungo 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 1960’s after its tolerance to coffee leaf rust was recognized. However, it was not widely planted because the plant's branches were brittle and not favored by farmers. Gesha 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 per pound. Since then, the variety has become a resounding favorite of brewing and roasting competition winners and coffee enthusiasts alike.
Caturrón is believed to be a cross between the Timor Hybrid and either Bourbon or Caturra.
To our knowledge, Bourbon Rayado and Yellow Bourbon have never been genetically tested, making their lineage and origin unknown.
Pricing Details
Farm Gate (Parchment)
9.6MM COP/Carga
Farm Gate (USD; Green)
~11.20/KG
FOB
$30.82/KG
FOT
$36.33/KG
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.