Wilmar Castillo - Gesha Washed

MEET THE PRODUCER | Wilmar Castillo's coffee story began when he was just six years old, accompanying his father and his three older brothers while they worked on various coffee farms throughout the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. The years that followed were filled with a lot of hard work, but what Wilmar remembers most vividly from that time is his father's passion for coffee—and his own budding desire to propel that legacy forward.

About 15 years ago, Wilmar convinced his family to move to a valley called Hoja Blanca, where he now manages a gorgeous farm whose name, Vista Al Bosque, means "overlooking the forest." With two of his brothers' farms now on either side of his own, Wilmar is continuing to write new pages in the Castillo family coffee story, and we are thrilled to recount his Gesha chapter with you once again.

TRUST THE PROCESS | After being picked at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are pulped before undergoing 48 hours of aerobic fermentation. They are then rinsed clean and spread out to sun-dry on African-style raised beds for 10–12 days, until optimal moisture content is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | A quick perusal of our menu ought to confirm our undeniable love for the Gesha variety, and we are delighted to have found such a beautiful, classic example in the forests of Guatemala. This coffee takes quintessential Gesha variety characteristics, pitches them directly over the plate, and knocks them out of the park. Florality, like white flowers, can be perceived as soon as you bring the cup to your face and inhale. Citrus, like meyer lemon, lends a crisp, clean acidity to the cup. It sips like oolong tea and has a lingering sweetness like turbinado sugar. From the first sip to the last, this coffee is a masterclass in clean, classic Gesha, and we couldn’t love it more. 

Origin | Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Producer | Wilmar Castillo

Farm | Vista Al Bosque

Process | Washed

Variety | Gesha

Elevation | 1900 MASL

Produced by Wilmar Castillo in the high-elevation terrain of Guatemala · Huehuetenango, this lot showcases the meticulous approach of Black & White Coffee Roasters. The coffee features the Gesha varietal, a plant globally celebrated for its distinctively delicate profile and tea-like clarity. By utilizing a washed process, the producer emphasizes the inherent brightness and structural elegance of the bean, allowing the nuanced characteristics of the terroir to remain at the forefront of the cup.

When evaluating such refined coffees, enthusiasts often look for the interplay between acidity and sweetness. The tasting notes of white flowers, meyer lemon, oolong tea, and turbinado sugar reflect a sophisticated balance that can be mapped using a flavor wheel. This specific offering highlights the potential of the Huehuetenango region to produce complex, high-altitude harvests that reward careful preparation and focused sensory analysis.