*NEW GESHA* Colombia - Rodrigo Oyuela

WHITE FLOWERS, PEACH, TROPICAL, BROWN SUGAR

Bloody love me a Colombian Gesha. Sweet, floral, that delicate and honeyed body. I think that about sums this one up actually. It’s roasted light and I’d recommend filter for this, incredibly complex in the cup and I think it’s a little difficult to pull all out all the nuances on espresso (prove me wrong some of you will I’m sure!).

THE COFFEE ITSELF

Rodrigo Oyuela Romero, a 63-year-old coffee producer, is the founder and current president of the COAGROHERMOSAS association. His leadership and agronomic expertise have been instrumental in achieving high coffee yields, and he actively involves his family in the business. Recognized as a key figure in the Cañón de las Hermosas region, he previously managed a purchase point and a small wet milling facility for an association, further demonstrating his commitment to the local coffee-growing community.

He operates Villamaria, a farm located in the Alto Waterloo vereda of Chaparral, spanning a total of 33.5 hectares. Of this area, eight hectares are dedicated to coffee cultivation, while two hectares are preserved as forest. The farm hosts 38,000 coffee trees, including 4,000 Pink Bourbon trees aged four years, 32,000 Castillo trees aged 4.5 years, and 2,500 Colombia trees aged seven years. In addition to coffee, he maintains a garden for home consumption and cultivates plantain, corn, and beans for both commercial purposes and personal use. He also grows grass, which he sells to cattle owners.

His processing methods emphasize quality and precision, particularly for the Pink Bourbon variety. To ensure optimal ripeness, he offers a premium of 2,000 COP (approximately 0.5 USD) for every 12.5 kilograms of cherries harvested at the ideal stage, without any green or partially ripe fruit. After harvest, the cherries undergo an oxidation process lasting between 12 and 14 hours, depending on weather conditions, before being processed through a pulping machine equipped with a mucilage remover. However, he carefully collects all the mucilage and honey-water produced during pulping, reintroducing them to the coffee beans inside a GrainPro bag for 22 hours of controlled fermentation. The beans are then washed twice with clean water to complete the process.

Rodrigo employs a slow-drying method to preserve the integrity of the coffee’s profile. The beans are dried in a Casa-Elda, a structure with a sliding roof, for approximately 10 to 15 days. If temperatures become too high, he closes the Casa-Elda to slow the drying process and maintain optimal conditions. His farm is situated at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level, providing an ideal climate for high-quality coffee production.

Coffee cultivation has been a family tradition for him since childhood. Over the years, he acquired several coffee farms but was forced to sell most of them due to low yields, which he attributes to soil conditions and climate challenges. Eventually, he purchased Villamaria under a gradual payment agreement with the previous owner, financing the purchase through coffee sales. This necessity motivated him to refine his cultivation techniques and explore exotic coffee varieties. His Pink Bourbon seeds originate from Acevedo, Huila, reflecting his dedication to enhancing coffee quality through careful varietal selection and innovative processing methods.