SOURCING STORY
Last year (2025), our head of coffee was exploring Colombia and was in the Guerrera's cafe for a cupping. The coffees he tasted where incredible, and when he heard that this was the first opportunity for Alejandra to export her coffees to Australia, Aryan lept at the opportunity.
So after a cupping Bogota, Colombia, Zest is excited to be the very first Australian roaster to share Alejandra's incredible coffees!
ALEJANDRA GUERRERA
Alejanda Guerrera is a female producer from Cundinamarca, Colombia. On her farm, Finca Candelaima, Alejandra displays a experimental spirit and wonderful knowledge of coffee fermentation.
Coffee is a new crop for Alejanda, who used to farm other products such as mushrooms. Today, she still grows mushrooms and actually uses them to help fertalise her coffee crop.
The Geisha trees at Finca Cendelaima where planted in 2020, taking 25% of the land area of her farm. She also produces Sudan Rume and Red Borbon.
ZOOM IN - ALEJANDRA GUERRERA GEISHA NATURAL
Alejandra has crafted this lot through a 'traditional' anaerobic natural process. The Geisha cherries are harvested at full ripeness, floated and hand-selected.
The cherries are sealed into tanks, and allowed to ferment slowly to allow the sugars to break down slowly and evenly.
Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are centrifuged to remove excess moisture. Put simply, this means spinning them around in a circle so the excess moisture flies off the cherries. Alejandra adds this step for the most even and controlled drying process.
The drying is completed over 21 days in a marquesina/green house where Aljandra controls the airflow and tempreture for a consistent drying stage.
