Gesha Beans

A clean, tea-like cup offering pleasing bergamot aromatics.

Ebert Huaman Villegas grew up on his family’s farm in Cajamarca, where they produced small quantities of Catimor for the commercial coffee market. Seeking a better income, he took work on vessels involved in dangerous fishing, a decision that worried his mother. The money allowed him to begin studying veterinary science at university, but he could not afford to complete the three-year course. Instead, he used what he had left to take a barista course at Le Cordon Bleu in Lima.

In Lima, Ebert met people working in specialty coffee and began to see new possibilities for his farm. He returned home and planted Catuaí, Bourbon and Caturra, initially selling his coffee to Puku Puku, a specialty coffee company in Lima. A contact there introduced him to our importer Mark Russell at Khipu Coffee, and they have worked together ever since. With other family members joining the project, the farm has grown from a few hectares to around sixteen. It is known as Finca Artemira, in honour of Ebert’s mother.

Most of his newer plants are Gesha and Tabi. The seed for this Gesha came from fellow Peruvian producer Franco Huancas, who placed second in the Cup of Excellence in 2023. Ebert harvested Sidra for the first time this year and is raising SL-09 and Chiroso in his nursery. His first journey outside Peru earlier this year took him to the London Coffee Festival. We were pleased to show him around our roastery in Yate as part of his visit.