- Nicaragua
- December - March
Nicaragua La Bastilla Geisha Natural SHG/EP 2024
La Bastilla Geisha Natural Process
This new Geisha green coffee micro-lot was sourced from Finca La Bastilla, an idyllic farm set in the high peaks of Nicaragua's Jinotega department. Ripe red coffee cherries were picked from Geisha trees, sorted, and laid out to dry without removing the fruit or skin. The resulting vibrant, sweet, fruit-forward cup was the result of pairing the Geisha variety with the natural (dry) processing.
Natural (Dry) Process
La Bastilla's staff diligently selects only the ripest coffee cherries for Natural (dry) processing. This requires planning since drying naturals is a slow process. Coffee cherries are dried whole, without removing any of the fruit. During this stage, the coffee is turned regularly to increase airflow, support even drying, and prevent spoilage.
After the cherries have been dried, the seeds (or coffee beans) are removed from the fruit and prepared for export. The team at La Bastilla strives for strong berry notes and uses a proprietary process that is a "trade secret" of the La Bastilla mill.
La Bastilla Coffee Estates
La Bastilla Coffee Estates, located in the north-east region of Jinotega, NIcaragua, is renowned for its coffee. On its two farms, Finca La Bastilla and Finca Santa Luz, the estate employs around 50 permanent and up to 600 temporary employees during the harvest season. Surrounded by the natural reserve Cerro Datanli El Diablo, just a few kilometers from Lago de Apanas, Finca La Bastilla is a tropical paradise for the fauna and flora founded on deep, favorable volcanic soils. Since 2003, the farm has been certified by the Rainforest Alliance and is striving for continued excellence.
Micro-farms have been created throughout the estate, so that each coffee can express its full potential in accordance with the different microclimates. Each farm is further divided into lots. Lots are differentiated at the micro-farm level, but also by the variety of the coffee and the altitude.
Additionally, La Bastilla owns its own micro-mill. Every coffee is wet-milled and dry-milled with care. Between coffee varieties and its ability to control processing, La Bastilla is capable of producing more than 150 micro-lot coffees, including bespoke offerings upon request.
Geisha (Gesha) Coffee Variety
Geisha is a prized cultivar, which is renowned for its flavor and, often, for its eye-popping price. Originally named Gesha (for the town of Gesha in Ethiopia) the rare coffee is also known as Geisha.
The highly sought after Geisha cup profile is often associated with bright citrus, honeysuckle sweetness, and delicate tea-like and floral notes. However, the cultivation and harvesting of Geisha coffees involves special care and attention. Geisha coffee trees tend to have low yields and can be susceptible to leaf rust. The unique flavor profile, in combination with low-yielding, temperamental trees, make Geisha Ð or Gesha - a specialty-coffee treasure.
Coffee Bean Quality
A Strictly High Grown (SHG) coffee is grown at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level or higher. When coffee cherries grow at high altitudes, they tend to mature more slowly. This allows the fruit to take in more nutrients, resulting in denser, sweeter green coffee beans that are considered higher quality. Due to the longer maturation, harvesting and production of SHG coffees generally occurs later in the season. During dry milling, this lot was further sorted to European Preparation (EP) specifications with a minimum screen size of 15 and above and a maximum of eight defects within 300 grams.
GEOGRAPHY:
Region Jinotega
Altitude 1300-1500
PRODUCER:
La Bastilla Coffee Estates
VARIETY:
Geisha (Gesha)
PROCESSING:
Natural
HARVEST TIME:
December - March