Huver Castillo - Gesha Floral

MEET THE PRODUCER | Like many of the producers featured on our menu, Huver Castillo comes from a long line of coffee growers in Colombia—but that wasn't exactly part of the plan. For all of his adult life until 2015, Huver worked as a math teacher in his hometown in Nariño. But in 2014, when global coffee prices plummeted, he made the decision to return to his coffee-growing roots, putting his family's farm—and livelihood—at great risk.

After years of trial and error, the Castillo family exported their first lots of specialty coffee in 2018. This shift from commodity to specialty, plus a tireless focus on quality and improving processing techniques, helped to sustain the family business. Today, Huver works alongside his father on the farm that's been in his family for over 20 years, and he couldn't be prouder of their resilience and achievement.

TRUST THE PROCESS | After being handpicked at peak ripeness and delivered to the processing facility, whole cherries are packed into temperature-controlled vessels alongside brewer’s yeast musto. Once the musto is fully developed, the coffee cherries are de-pulped without water and placed in sealed stainless steel tanks for an additional 72 hours of anaerobic fermentation. Because the mucilage was not washed after de-pulping, it transforms during this second round of fermentation, enhancing sweetness and complexity in the resulting flavor profile. Finally, the lot is spread out on African raised beds in a temperature-controlled room for drying: it is first slow-dried at a low temperature for the first seven days (no more than 35 degrees Celsius), and then allowed to dry at a more progressive rate until optimal moisture content (12%) is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | Floral and aromatic, like white flowers and bergamot, this coffee boasts many beloved Gesha variety characteristics. Stone fruit, like peach, is prevalent in the cup. It sips like black tea and offers a long, floral finish. All of that nuanced fermentation didn’t change the character of this coffee; it actually served to amplify its inherent qualities! The result is a cup that is vibrant and lovely and unapologetically Gesha – we couldn’t love it more. 

Origin | Buesaco, Nariño, Colombia

Producer | Huver Castillo

Farm | El Paseo

Process | Advanced Anaerobic

Variety | Gesha

Elevation | 1800 MASL

Produced by Huver Castillo in the Buesaco region of Nariño, this Colombian offering showcases the meticulous work of Black & White Coffee Roasters. The coffee features the Gesha varietal, which is widely celebrated in the specialty industry for its distinct floral aromatics and tea-like clarity. By utilizing an advanced anaerobic processing method, the producer has influenced the cup profile to highlight delicate notes of white flowers, bergamot, and peach.

Coffees from Colombia · Buesaco, Nariño are often recognized for their complex acidity and vibrant character. When evaluating such nuanced profiles, enthusiasts frequently consult the flavor wheel to better identify the specific aromatic compounds present in the cup. While anaerobic fermentation can introduce unique, intensified characteristics to a lot, the inherent elegance of the Gesha variety remains the foundation of this specific release from Huver Castillo.