Hugo Pareja [SL9]
Hugo Pareja [SL9]
Hugo Pareja [SL9]
Hugo Pareja [SL9]
Hugo Pareja [SL9]
Hugo Pareja [SL9]
Peru

Hugo Pareja [SL9]

Elegant and floral, with white flower aromatics, bergamot, apricot and yellow plum, and a delicate tea-like texture.

€23,00
€230,00/kg
Tax included.
Size

Producer: Hugo Pareja

Farm: Bella Vista

Country: Peru

Region: Inkawasi, Cusco

Altitude: 2205 m a.s.l.

Variety: SL9 (Inca Geisha)

Process: Washed

SL9 (Inca Geisha)

SL9 is a rare variety with a layered and partly unresolved history. In Peru, it is often known as Inca Gesha because of its elegant structure, floral aromatics and resemblance to Gesha in the cup. Today, SL9 is the more precise name to use.

The “SL” prefix comes from Scott Agricultural Laboratories in Kenya, where single tree selections were made in the 1930s. These selections were not modern hybrids created through controlled crossing. They were chosen from existing coffee trees and studied for qualities such as cup quality, yield, drought tolerance and disease resistance.

The exact path of SL9 into Peru is still not fully documented. That uncertainty is part of what makes the variety so interesting. At Hugo and Flor’s farm in Inkawasi, it has taken on a local identity shaped by altitude, careful farming and years of selection through the cooperative.

Washed Process

After selective harvesting, the cherries are depulped and fermented for 9 hours. The coffee is then washed with clean water and dried on pallets for 8 days. The result is a transparent cup where the variety and altitude are clearly expressed.

The short fermentation keeps the profile precise rather than heavy. Instead of intense fermentation character, the cup leans towards brightness, elegance and balance. Expect clean citrus, yellow fruit, soft florals and a honey like sweetness that becomes more noticeable as the coffee cools.

Hugo Pareja and Flor Lopez grow this rare SL9 on Bella Vista, a small family farm in Inkawasi, Cusco, shaped by cooperative support, careful selection and their own nursery work.

Finca Bella Vista

Hugo Pareja

Hugo Pareja and Flor Lopez grow this coffee on Bella Vista, their 2.75 ha farm in Cedrobamba, Inkawasi, Cusco. The farm sits at 2205 m a.s.l., surrounded by the steep mountain landscape of southern Peru.

Hugo started growing coffee as a teenager, following the coffee tradition of his mother. Today, coffee is the main livelihood of his family, shared with Flor and their three children. Their work reflects the shift happening in Cusco, where small producers are moving from volume-led farming towards carefully separated, high quality microlots.

A key part of their progress has been CAC Incahuasi. Hugo was one of the cooperative’s first members in 2006, and over the years it supported him with seeds, nursery material, irrigation equipment, training and technical assistance. The SL9 on Bella Vista began as an unnamed high quality seed shared through the cooperative. After the first harvests showed exceptional potential, Hugo and Flor planted more and continued refining their picking and fermentation.

Their work is also rooted in community. During harvest, Hugo and Flor practise Ayni, an Andean tradition of reciprocal help where neighbours support each other with selective picking. On Bella Vista, they also work with organic farm material, small animal compost and shade trees such as pisonay, pacae, barbasco, alder and pine.

What makes this coffee special is not only the rare variety. It is the combination of family farming, cooperative support, careful selection and years of quiet improvement. Hugo and Flor recognised the potential of this seed early, built their own nursery of 1000 seedlings, and continue to shape a coffee that feels deeply connected to Inkawasi.

Meticulous Quality

Ethically Sourced

Small Batch Roasting

Worldwide Delivery

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