GROWN IN CALIFORNIA

This lot is one of the most interesting coffees we produced in the 2025 harvest. It is a Geisha grown at Vedder Ranch in Carpinteria, a part of Santa Barbara County that is home to some of the best soil for growing coffee in California. That alone should turn heads. For this lot, though, we decided to try a more advanced processing method, more commonly found in Colombia and Panama, to highlight the deep and fruity nature of this coffee.

Cherries were picked at peak ripeness, floated to remove defects, then inoculated with LALCAFÉ INTENSO yeast and sealed in a tank for three days. This initial whole-cherry fermentation is more aggressive than our standard protocol, allowing the yeast to metabolize cherry sugars to a greater degree and yield a more intense wine-like fruitiness. The cherries were then milled and placed in a second sealed tank without additional water or yeast. This stage lets the flavors developed in the first fermentation absorb more deeply into the bean. After another 24 hours, the coffee was washed and dried on raised beds for 12 days to a stable moisture of 10.3%.

The result is a clean, fruit-forward coffee reminiscent of the Pinot Noir grown in this region — a pop of ripe red berries with an undercurrent of chocolate and winey funk. We are very proud of this coffee, and we are excited to share it with you.