Hacienda la Papaya Natural Gesha by Juan Peña, Hacienda La Papaya, Ecuador

A coffee that reminds us why Hacienda La Papaya continues to shape the modern competition coffee scene.

Bright tropical fruit, silky florals and an almost candy-like sweetness, carried by the clarity and precision Juan Peña has become known for.

An incredibly expressive Natural Gesha and a very easy choice for the June Competition Subscription.”
/ Oskar & Alexander

• Variety: Gesha
• Country: Ecuador
• Process: Natural
• Producer: Juan Peña
• Farm: Finca La Papaya

Taste description: In the cup we get a very sweet and tropical profile of mangos, papaya, melons and juicy tropical acidity. This cup is sweet, bright and has a silky body and a medium finish.  This gesha is incredibly sweet, aromatic and tropical and reminds us of mango, melon and has a juicy acidity.

After picking the cherries, they are sprayed with low-pressure water to be completely cleaned. The cherries in perfect condition are selected manually. They are then transferred directly to the drying rooms, where temperature, shade, humidity, and airflow are carefully controlled. The cherries are constantly turned during the drying process, sometimes 3 to 4 times per day. The drying period is up to 30 days. The harvest of each of the farms arrives each year in the months of September, October and November from different parts of Ecuador to the Cafexporto laboratory and warehouse. Each one of the bags when entering the warehouses are coded with a name and reference number. During admission, small quantities are taken as samples of each of the references to analyze them in the Cafexporto laboratory before starting the dry processing process. Each of the parchment coffees references goes through the machine production line (threshing, size classification, cleaning and visual classification). After going through the visual classification, the physical quality of the beans is analyzed before starting to pack in the boxes of Cafexporto. During the packaging of boxes, a small amount of sample is taken for a new sensory quality control analysis in the Cafexporto laboratory prior to shipment.

This variety has been established in Hacienda La Papaya since 2018, the seeds were obtained from a farm in the Boquete / Panama area, which has a record for the propagation of plants of this variety. It requires high nutritional requirements and medium-high productivity, which does not need shade as long as it has suitable humidity and nutritional levels.

Juan is a multigeneration farmer, but he’s relatively new to coffee: A former long-stem-rose producer, he started experimenting with coffee plants in about 2010, after disastrous weather wiped out his flower fields.

Turning his energy entirely to coffee, he has worked to develop as healthy, hardy, and horticulturally intentional a farm as possible, with a very well-nurtured plant nursery and a “garden of inputs” on the property. The “inputs garden” is interesting and shows Juan’s dedication to science and methodical experimentation: He has coffee trees planted several yards apart and labeled with the fertilizer inputs they’re given, to track the impact of the nutrients on growth and cherry development.

Juan grows several varieties on this land, and is actively engaged with processing experiments as well. His farming is meticulous, scientific, curious, and giving: He provides neighbors and farm workers space in his nursery, along with seedlings, so that they can develop plots of their own.

Juan Peña is also working to create opportunity for others. Hacienda la Papaya employs 7 permanent workers. During the 4 months harvest, they hire up to 40 additional workers. It’s a source of formal employment, because those who work on the farm have social security. It’s the only business that provides formal employment in the zone. All of the workers are from the community. Eighty percent are women, and most workers have families with kids. Also, during the months of school vacation, high school students work on the farm as well because it coincides with the months of harvest. They’ve been hiring these students seasonally for 7 years now, and its been a great success.

Hacienda La Papaya with 28 acres and 1900-2100 MASL is the Pioneer of coffee cultivation in the Saraguro region, starting in 2010. Located 20km away from Saraguro toward the Andes, the project started in 2009 and the planting in 2010. The farm planted exclusive varieties and constructed the best agricultural technology such as drip irrigation. The vision has always been very clear about produciting only high-quality plants and processes where everything is managed by agronomists. The entire farm at Hacienda la Papaya uses drip irrigation system for the 35.000 plants. Hacienda la Papaya exported their first harvest in 2014 to markets in the United States and from 2015 the coffee has been recognized in the United States and later in The Asian market often placing in the top three of the most important international coffee competitions. Juan Peña is the founder, director and partner of Hacienda la Papaya where Juan won 3 consecutive, Sprudge Notable Producer awards recognizing Hacienda la Papaya as a top quality coffee producer.

Hacienda la Papaya Profile

Juan Peña manages all production from the farm.

• Climate Type: Dry Tropics
• Location: Andean Mountain Range, predominantly Saraguro Formation (flows into the Pacific Ocean)
• Altitude: 1800 – 2200 meters above sea level (MSL)
• Soil: Clay loam with moderate organic matter and good drainage; balanced fertilization is essential
• Water Source: Andean wetlands, ensuring purity and freshness
• Climate: 12 hours of daylight; high temperatures (20 – 30°C during the day, 15 – 20°C at night); seasonal rainfall concentrated in 2 months per year
• Topography: Irregular with slopes ranging from 30 – 90%

Cup Profile

• Complex, bright acidity with medium body
• Fruity, floral, chocolate, and cane sugar notes
• Clean and balanced, with tropical sweetness and freshness

Key Aspects

• Unique aromatic profile, combining fruity, floral, and chocolate notes
• Ideal for natural processing due to diverse yeast and microorganisms, enhancing sweetness and complexity
• High-altitude and well-managed agronomic practices contribute to a velvety and balanced mouthfeel
• In addition, the area has exceptional climatic characteristics for coffee production, such as an average luminosity of 12 hours per day, and temperatures that range between 20 and 30°C during the day, and between 15 and 20°C at night. This thermal pattern has a significant effect on the accumulation of sugars in the fruits, a phenomenon that is scientifically correlated with the altitude and genetics of the plants. This unique environment, which combines altitude, genetics and specific climatic conditions, allows for the development of an unmistakable flavor profile, characterized by a unique and balanced level of sweetness, with floral and fruity nuances.

Finally, the climatic characteristics of the Andean region ensure a constant supply of high-purity water, a crucial factor in the wet coffee processing process, which contributes to a cleaner and more refined profile, surpassing the quality of other coffee producing regions in Ecuador and around the world.