AMOC - /043 PERU — HERLIN (240g)

Herlin Emer Florido Encarnación (38) has been a coffee farmer for 20 years. Together with his wife Jessica and their three children, they live in the village of “Nueva Zelandia,” located eight hours by car from the city of Huanuco. To reach “Nueva Zelandia,” one must transfer in the city of Tingo María, which is considered the gateway to the Peruvian jungle.

Beyond the beautiful city of Tingo María lies the silhouette of a woman lying on her back and gazing at the sky, shrouded in greenery. This is why Tingo María is dubbed “The City of Sleeping Beauty,” in honor of the mountain that serves as its emblem.

Herlin began producing specialty coffees six years ago, after the “rust” disease devastated his earlier coffee crops. The Geisha variety came into his possession without much prior knowledge about it. At that time, Herlin was struggling financially, so he had to work in the city to earn enough money to buy 1kg of Geisha seeds and take them back to his farm.

After three years, the Geishas did not produce results that met Herlin and Jessica’s expectations; the time and care invested in the plants far exceeded the yields they obtained.

At one point, Jessica considered eradicating the Geisha plantations, thinking they were unprofitable, but Herlin kept his faith in them. Two years ago, Pablo, an agronomist touring those villages, discovered Herlin’s Geisha plantations. Along with other colleagues, they tasted the coffee and were impressed by its exceptional and exotic fragrance and flavors.