Gesha - Brazil (Luiz Paulo)

Producer/Farm: Santuário Sul, Luiz Paulo
Varietal: Gesha
Region: Brazil
MASL:
Process: Washed
Tier Name: Dracaena
Roast Level: Light Medium - Medium
Best Brewing Method: Pour Over with a longer brew process 
Size: 225g 

Flavor:
Orange Blossom, Butterscotch, Caramel, Chamomile, Chocolate.

Producer:
 Luiz Paulo Dias Pereira Filho is an undeniable creative genius and a force to be reckoned with in the coffee world. 

 This is a moderate intervention washed Gesha cultivar coffee, dried under UV lights, from Carmo de Minas, Brazil, produced by Luiz Paulo Dias Pereira Filho on his experimental farm, Santuário Sul.

 The flavor profile is delicate, sweet, and subtly floral. We tasted orange blossom, sweet herbal and tea-like notes, and soft citrus and fig.

 Santuário Sul is a special slice of earth, self-described by Pereira as “obstinate” and “ahead of market trends.” It is Luiz Paulo’s variety garden and experimental farm, a 300-acre tract with 30 cultivated varieties of coffee and a legacy as Cup of Excellence and Carmo Best Cup winner. The estate is located in Carmo de Minas (for which the export company is named), a small town Luiz and his family are responsible for having practically put on the map—at least as far as the specialty coffee buyer is concerned.  

 Perfect ingredients still require precise techniques, however, and these have been honed by Luiz Paulo, his family, and Carmo Coffees, over the years. At the risk of having buried the lede, this is a very uniquely processed coffee. 

 When speaking of Brazilian coffees, the phrase “washed” is almost never uttered. Factors like available water and dependence on technologies that create large quantities of natural and honey-processed (often called “pulped naturals” when sourced from Brazil) are cited for the extreme rarity of washed coffees. 

 However, Luiz Paulo has shown it is possible, with this coffee submitted as proof. The Gesha cherries were depulped after harvesting and then fermented for 36 hours in a water tank. Thereafter, the coffees were dried under ultraviolet lights in a greenhouse. Luiz Paulo has been experimenting with this drying technique since at least 2022. While UV lights have sometimes been employed in QC labs to identify physical defects, there’s also evidence that UV light can reduce microbial activity and extend shelf life in certain circumstances, a benefit Luiz Paulo believes is extended to coffee during the drying process. 

 The result is an uncommonly clean and refreshing coffee, with delicate floral and fruit character whose simple pleasure in the cup quietly belies the complexity of its production and provenance. 

 This is part of the Dracaena tier, because its heritage is as a ultra high end varietal, but also the drying method.. UV lights is a unique process element and the very nature of the producer, making the sin their experimental estate, is what is core to our heart at Oak Roastworks and being coffee for the creative and curious. We are excited to offer this coffee and it's a very very limited supply.