Richard Arauz - Boquete, Panama - PS02 Dark Room Dried Gesha

Description

Richard Arauz took over his family farm in 2020 after passing of his father. His family had been producing commodity coffee for generations; seeing coffee as a means to an end.  Once Richard took over the farm, he knew the future was specialty. He immediately began to retool the farm, taking a huge risk. He planted high quality varietals like chiroso, SL28, Caturra, typica and of course Gesha. I am beyond proud to work with Richard in his first year exporting specialty coffee under his own brand. In this natural process, the cherries were carefully hand-selected, ensuring that only fully ripe fruit entered the processing stage. After harvesting, the cherries underwent for some days of sun pre-drying, allowing natural fermentation to develop through exposure to the sun's warmth. This stage enhanced sugar concentration and encouraged the development of complex aromatic compounds within the fruit. Following the initial sun drying, the coffee was transferred to a dark drying room equipped with dehumidifiers, where drying continued slowly under controlled conditions. This gradual drying process preserved the characteristics developed during fermentation while ensuring an even reduction of moisture, resulting in a clean and expressive cup profile. We taste: Expressive floral and fruity expressions burst from the cup with a sparkling aromatic sensation. Upon first sip, elderflower liqueur strikes the palate with equal parts florality and sweetness supported by tropical pomegranate, passionfruit and sweet juicy mango. As the cup cools, this acidity and fruitiness turns citric, creating a raspberry limemade sensation still supported by orange blossom florals and a pleasant bite in the finish of grapefruit.