How to Brew Colombia Santa Teresa Estate Washed Geisha Coffee Beans?

The Rise of a Colombian Coffee Pioneer

For many years, Finca Santuario has been a leader in technology and cultivation methods among Colombia's specialty coffee farms. The key figure behind this success is the farm owner, Camilo Merizalde. Born in Valle de Cauca, Colombia, Camilo often visited nearby coffee plantations as a child, watching adults process coffee. After graduating from high school he decided to study in the United States. After graduating, he worked as a manager for a Colombian food and beverage factory, which gave him frequent opportunities to return home to purchase green coffee beans.

During this time, Camilo began to wonder why Colombian coffee quality often could not compare with African and Central American varieties, and why people generally did not count Colombia among the world's specialty coffee-producing nations. That reflection sparked his determination to study coffee cultivation through books and research in the United States, hoping to grow specialty coffee that would astonish the world. At the same time, he kept searching Colombia for farms with excellent microclimate conditions. Finally, in 2000, he found what he considered the finest agricultural land in Colombia's Cauca province. He immediately began a range of large and small transformation projects on the farm, preparing to realize his ideal coffee plantation concept at the farm he named Finca Santuario.

Building Excellence Step by Step

Camilo's first step was to improve the soil quality on the farm. By planting a large number of leguminous plants, he gave the land rich, natural nitrogen. He also preserved many native plants and fruit trees to provide diverse nutrient sources for the soil. Next, he analyzed the terrain within the farm and divided it into 266 different micro-zones, making it easier to track and manage the growth of the coffee and the microclimate changes within each area.

The second step was to select varieties to cultivate. From the beginning, Camilo was determined to choose low-yield, high-quality heirloom varieties. Finally, in November 2002, he planted the first Typica coffee tree. To this day, Finca Santuario has continued to expand with many varieties that show excellent cupping results, such as Typica, Geisha, Bourbon and Laurina. With an altitude of 1,950-2,050 meters, large day-night temperature differences and widespread volcanic ash soil, the farm is particularly suited to cultivating these precious varieties.

The third step was to build his own wet processing plant and sun-drying facilities. The drying facility in particular features many advanced devices unique within Colombia. Camilo first installed large exhaust fans on both sides of the drying room, using them to accelerate air circulation. This not only prevents over-fermentation of the green beans but also allows stable temperature control in the drying room. In his experimental spirit, Camilo also improved the washing equipment in the wet processing plant through a collaboration with 2015 WBC champion Sasa Sestic, using stainless steel tanks and rounded-corner designs to significantly enhance quality stability and the perception of sweetness.

International Recognition and Success

Through years of effort, Camilo's first batch of Finca Santuario green beans was officially exported in 2005. Today it has become the preferred partner for many competition baristas. Besides WBC champion Sasa Sestic, 2013 Australian Barista Champion Matt Perger also praised Finca Santuario's green beans highly, taking second place at the WBC World Championship that year with his combination of the beans and the EK43 grinder. Through his experience working with these champions, Camilo continuously tried and experimented with many new methods to improve coffee quality. In annual cuppings he always discovers more flavor expressions and unique varieties from the farm.

Finca Santuario Geisha Washed at a Glance

FrontStreet Coffee recommends Finca Santuario Geisha Washed

• Country: Colombia
• Region: Cauca
• Altitude: 1950-2050 meters
• Processing Method: Washed
• Grade: Excelso
• Variety: Geisha
• Flavor Description: Citrus, tea aroma, juicy sensation, honey sweetness

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Geisha is grown in many places, but Panama and Ethiopia remain the two poles worth knowing. Panama is where the variety made its name; the country's high altitude, microclimate and soil shape an especially alluring cup. FrontStreet Emerald Red Label Geisha, officially "Esmeralda Special," is grown at 1,600-1,800 meters, with every lot cupping above 90 points and coming from a single small plot, such as Jaramillo. FrontStreet Emerald Green Label Geisha, or "Private Collection," blends several plots to express the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha character at a friendlier price.

Ethiopia, meanwhile, is where Geisha began, and its Geisha tends toward brighter fruit acidity. FrontStreet Grana Geisha is an entry point worth trying: roasted light-medium, it keeps a pleasant white floral note while bringing out orange, guava and citrus sweet-sour qualities and a clearer finish. For a more demanding estate-level experience, FrontStreet Geisha Village Gold Label, from the Geisha 1931 variety, is a refined natural-process coffee with complex, layered flavor.

Geisha is a light-to-medium roasted, floral-and-fruit type with a hard density that can sink and clog the drainage hole. FrontStreet suggests grinding to about a 78% pass-through rate on a China standard #20 sieve (roughly fine-sugar size) and brewing at 91°C. A common hand-pour approach is 15 g of coffee in a small Hario V60 at a 1:16 ratio, using a three-stage pour - 30 g of water for a 30-second bloom, then circling to 125 g, then continuing to 225 g once the bed drops halfway, for a total extraction time of about 2:10-2:20.