This coffee is a washed Gesha variety produced by Juan Peña at Hacienda La Papaya in Ecuador. Grown at an altitude of 2,000 meters, the cherries are depulped and fermented in water for 15 hours before being rinsed and dried on raised beds for 10-18 days. The cup profile features prominent floral notes characteristic of the Gesha variety, complemented by a honeyed sweetness and flavors of peach, citrus, tropical yellow fruits, raspberry, and jasmine.
Origin
Hacienda La Papaya (Ecuador)
Flavor Notes
Peach, Citrus Fruit, Raspberry, Jasmine, Honey, Tropical Yellow Fruit
Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith founded Ilse in 2019, starting with a thousand dollars and a rented roaster in Stamford before building out their own facility in a converted mechanic's garage in North Canaan. The approach is quality-driven: light roasts, single-producer microlots, and a commitment to buying entire harvests from the same farms year after year, some relationships now stretch back to the beginning. Pricing is transparent; each bag lists what the producer was paid, the FOB price, and Ilse's cost. Sourcing focuses on Central and South America and East Africa, with Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, and Ethiopia appearing regularly.
