Herlin’s Peruvian Gesha
a beautiful coffee with a beautiful story
Herlin Emer Florido Encarnación (38) has been a coffee farmer for 20 years. Together with his wife Jessica and their three children, they live in the village of “Nueva Zelandia,” located eight hours by car from the city of Huanuco. To reach “Nueva Zelandia,” one must transfer in the city of Tingo María, which is considered the gateway to the Peruvian jungle.
Beyond the beautiful city of Tingo María lies the silhouette of a woman lying on her back and gazing at the sky, shrouded in greenery. This is why Tingo María is dubbed “The City of Sleeping Beauty,” in honor of the mountain that serves as its emblem.
Herlin began producing specialty coffees six years ago, after the “rust” disease devastated his earlier coffee crops. The Geisha variety came into his possession without much prior knowledge about it. At that time, Herlin was struggling financially, so he had to work in the city to earn enough money to buy 1kg of Geisha seeds and take them back to his farm.
After three years, the Geishas did not produce results that met Herlin and Jessica’s expectations; the time and care invested in the plants far exceeded the yields they obtained.
At one point, Jessica considered eradicating the Geisha plantations, thinking they were unprofitable, but Herlin kept his faith in them. Two years ago, Pablo, an agronomist touring those villages, discovered Herlin’s Geisha plantations. Along with other colleagues, they tasted the coffee and were impressed by its exceptional and exotic fragrance and flavors.
Since then, Herlin has received awards in his region for two consecutive years and has participated in the last two Peruvian Cup of Excellence (COE) competitions, placing 26th in 2022 with a score of 87.31 and 31st in 2023 with a score of 87.21.
Currently, Herlin is refining his processes, confident that his Geisha plants can further improve in aroma and flavor. With the assistance of specialists and access to new markets, he aims to gather resources to enhance the farm and provide a better environment and opportunities for his family and community, establishing himself as a benchmark in the world of specialty coffee.
This coffee is incredible. What a beautiful Gesha from Peru should taste like. Fruity, floral, balanced and with an amazing pleasant body.
Previous achievements by Herlin:
Concafes 2022 – 1st place / Score – 88.42
Concafes 2023 – 2nd place / Score – 88.42
COE Peru 2022 – 26th place/ Score – 87.31
COE Peru 2023 – 31th place / Score – 87.21
