A NOTE FROM YENY CASTILLO

“My name is Yeny Castillo and I’m 41 years old. I have been a coffee producer basically since I was born; my family has been producing coffee as far back as my great grandparents! I have two children and coffee has always been a way of life for our community and above all, my family. Coffee has allowed myself and my siblings to receive an education, something I’m extremely thankful for. I’m passionate about coffee, and not just my own farm; I have worked in various areas of the business—from production all the way to the commercialization side—and I’m proud to be able to represent the producers of my state, Nariño. In my farm, we manage a few different processes, but for the Gesha lot, we make sure to select only the absolute most mature cherries, not just by looking, but by feeling. In addition, at my farm, only women pick the Gesha variety, as I believe they are more careful and delicate and will take the time to really make sure it’s picked properly. Once the coffee is picked, it is left to ferment in-cherry for 24 hours, depulped, and then fermented an additional 36 hours in the tank. Upon washing the coffee, it is laid out to dry in African beds, for anywhere from 12-15 days, depending on the climate. I hope my coffee is recognized at a worldwide level for its quality and the love and dedication put forth in its production and that its floral and sweet notes are enjoyed by all those who taste it.”

ABOUT GESHA

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.