Gilber Huayllas, Filter - Peru

An exceptional Geisha Inca from Gilber Huayllas, grown at remarkable altitude in Peru’s Incahuasi Valley. This 180kg lot is the remaining coffee from the harvest that earned Gilber 3rd place in the 2025 Cup of Excellence, an outstanding result in only his third year competing.

Gilber recently acquired the farm, and over the past two years his Geisha trees have more than doubled their production as the plants have matured. He learned his craft from his father, Feliciano, a respected producer and one of the founders of the Pacaybamba processing station.

Gilber’s farm forms part of the Incahuasi Cooperative, where producers share a common Inca heritage and continue traditions of collective work and mutual support through Minka and Ayni. The Incahuasi Valley lies southwest of Cusco, with coffee grown at exceptional elevations and within an isolated mountain climate. The region has one of Peru’s latest harvest seasons, beginning in September and extending into December at the highest elevations.

Coffee is cultivated within agroforestry systems, with native shade trees such as cedro, tarco, roble and yanay helping preserve biodiversity and insect populations. The cooperative provides agronomic support, including guidance on organic composting, fertilisation, pruning and soil management.

Known locally as Geisha Inca, SL9 is an Ethiopian heirloom variety that has adapted and naturally mutated in Peru over generations. Historically overlooked for its relatively low yields, the variety is increasingly valued for its exceptional cup quality when grown and managed carefully at high altitude.

Fully ripe cherries are carefully harvested and floated to remove immature or damaged fruit before being pulped. The coffee then undergoes dry fermentation for 24–36 hours, fermenting in its own mucilage without added water. The cool high-altitude climate helps stabilise the fermentation and allows the process to develop gradually. After fermentation, the coffee is thoroughly washed and spread across raised drying beds. The parchment is turned five to six times each day and dried slowly in the cool mountain air for approximately 8–12 days, until it reaches a stable moisture content of 10–11.5%.

In the cup, the precision of the fermentation and careful processing are immediately apparent. Floral citrus and bergamot combine with delicate fruit sweetness and a remarkably clean, structured finish, reflecting both the variety and the distinctive high-altitude terroir.

• Region: Incahausi, Cusco
• Country: Peru
• Elevation: 2,300 masl
• Variety: SL9 Inca Geisha
• Process: Washed Dried in Honey for 36h