Forest Gesha

Due to the exclusivity and small amount of green available, we roast and fulfill orders for this coffee on a schedule. We roast Forest Gesha once every 7 days, so expect this coffee to take just a bit longer to ship. If you ordered any other coffees, they will wait and ship with the Forest Gesha.

We’ve been honored to work with Max & Claudia Perez behind Finca La Hermosa for almost 4 years now! In 2020, they started something incredibly unique where they wanted to use their farm a way to showcase coffees from around the world. So they traveled/found ways to buy gesha seeds from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Panama, and Guatemala to have them planted on their farm in Acatenango, Guatemala. Now, every year they hold an auction for their top lots. This gesha was purchased on that auction. You’ll experience an incredible coffee – coffees like this are hard to find in Guatemala. A crisp fresh off the bush, followed by beautiful florals and an incredible buttery mouthfeel.

Max Perez is a 5th generation coffee farmer. He and his family are originally from Huehuetenango and have a family farm there that is run by his father. 11 years ago, Max and wife had an opportunity to buy an abandoned farm that has since become Finca La Hermosa.

Since the farm had been abandoned for a significant amount of time, everything needed to be renovated. Plants were pulled up, fields were tilled, raked, and maintained, shade trees were planted, and the construction of a wet mill ensued. This amount of investment is actually quite risky. Since the coffee market is super volatile and doesn’t always offer profit margins, farmers who make investments like that are often driven by something more than profit margins. Instead, they see coffee as a long term investment/adventure/lifestyle.

It’s what I really admire about Max. He sees into the future and is willing to sow the seeds in the present with the hope to see it flourish in the years to come; despite the risk. When asked if his objective behind La Hermosa was to produce the best coffees in Guatemala, his response was admirable. “Of course it’d be nice to have great coffees, but I’d rather like to see us selling larger volume in a way that can sustain the farm and the next generation.” (Paraphrase as he nods to his son.) At the same time, Max is also known for producing significantly great coffees (89+ Coffees) as he holds several Cup of Excellence awards. To get a response like this out of Max really showed us his genuine humility.

Today, Finca La Hermosa has a fully functioning wet mill, a couple of chicken coops, and a house he and his family live in during the harvesting months. It’s a farm we’re really proud to represent and a farming family we’re even more excited about. His coffees are stellar but his family, personality and character are what drive us to want to continue supporting Finca La Hermosa year after year.

Green Coffee Cost including Shrinkage: $21.22 usd/lb
Green coffee cost is the price that we paid for this coffee, per pound including shrinkage (when we roast coffee, it looses about 10-15% of its weight). When we can’t purchase directly from producers, we work closely with trusted import partners and always ensure the producer was fairly compensated. This coffee was purchased through our friends at Collaborative Origins.

Production Cost: $5.73 usd/lb
These production costs are basically what it costs us to provide this coffee to you. This includes our utilities, labor, packaging, quality control, licenses, taxes, shipping the coffee from warehouse to our roastery.

Length of Relationship: 4 years

Transparency
We firmly believe that transparency in the coffee industry is of utmost importance, even though it is inherently complex. Our mission is to provide a candid account of the various factors involved in the production and preparation of this coffee, spanning from the farm to your cup. Furthermore, we aim to actively contribute to fostering open communication among the individuals who play a role in bringing this coffee to life. Nurturing this cycle of communication is crucial for advancing our industry, ensuring fair compensation for producers, and continuing to bring you better and better coffees each year. While this report may not cover every detail comprehensively, it is meant to initiate more profound discussions with you. If you have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I would be honored to continue these meaningful conversations with you. – Nick Yost, founder