Although it is locally referred to as gesha, we were curious to learn if these coffee plants in remote southern Peru hailed from the same lineage as the renown gesha variety of Panama. Fortunately, an organization called World Coffee Research has begun a genetic testing service that can test such claims. Understanding coffee varieties is a complex undertaking, and often there is confusion or misinformation about what is actually planted on a farm. We sent two seed samples to WCR from Lucio’s farm, and the results were quite surprising. Early results showed the trees and near genetic matches to SL-09, an obscure variety created by Kenyan breeders in the early 20th century. Subsequent conversations with coffee breeder Christophe Montagnon revealed that the genetic markers in these samples were actually much closer to gesha’s reference sample, with some bourbon genetics in the mix. Due to outcrossing and natural mutations that occur in the field, there are many coffee trees that aren’t exact matches to the references researchers use to identify them. While not an exact match to the Panamanian gesha lines most commonly grown on farms around the world, the morphology of the plant, the flavor profile, and genetic tests leave gesha as the most accurate term to describe this highly unique variety cultivated by Lucio.
Founded in early 2005, the Incahuasi Valley Cooperative brings together nearly a dozen communities in an effort to promote specialty coffee production. Through heavy investments in centralized wet mills, drying facilities, organized warehousing, farming education, and marketing, the cooperative has made great improvements to the stability of this region. Initial tasting, inspections, and analysis of coffee occurs at a central warehouse and quality control lab in Andahuaylas, some four hours away from the nearest producers. Quality separation and grading begins in this lab regardless of whether the coffee is a small single-farmer lot or a large community lot. Showcasing farmers doing excellent work reflects the group's devotion to pursuing quality.
We first tasted—and subsequently purchased—a small amount of coffee from this group in 2015. Starting in 2018, a majority of the coffee processed by the Incahuasi Cooperative was dried on African-style raised beds. In addition to the central community processing stations, many individual farms—including Lucio’s—transitioned their drying from patios or tarps on the ground, to the improved practice of drying on the raised beds. This took a major investment on behalf of the cooperative and individual producers, in materials and labor, but is something that should result in better quality and access to higher prices. We're excited to continue building upon the progress from the early, foundational years working with this cooperative as we work toward a robust supply chain that brings great coffee to our customers while directly supporting the communities in this remote region of Peru.
