Lilac Dream

The tiny producing region of Santa Barbara is very special. When it comes to coffees grown here, it’s not a question of whether they will be good or bad, but just how good they will be! This region is responsible for over 50% of the Cup of Excellence finalists in the country! We have been working in Santa Barbara since 2012 and now have a group of rockstar producers who deliver amazing quality year after year and Elder is at the top of that list.

Here's a bit of history on Elder and his farms. If you’re super keen, read it, otherwise, skip to the really cool part where I tell you about this Geisha…

In 2015, our first year working with Elder, we only purchased a tiny lot of Catimor, but I made arrangements to purchase his entire harvest starting in 2016. Yes, you read that right, Catimor! It was by far the best Catimor I have ever tried, but yet the quality dipped over time, and although it was still great for a Catimor, Elder wanted to produce top notch coffee.

In 2017, Elder was able to invest in his processing. His de-pulping and fermentation are pretty standard for the region: a dry fermentation for 28-36 hours in tiled tanks. On the drying side, we financed a portion of Elder’s drying structures, which he built using a specification based on ample airflow and drying under shade.

Elder has two farms, his small one, La Montañita, in a stunning forest around 1650m and the larger one, El Mirador, at the top of the hill sitting around 1800m high, planted with 100% geisha. The history of this Geisha is cool because the seeds come from the Hartmann family in Panama. I was able to smuggle them to Elder in 2016 and he planted the seeds at El Mirador in 2020.

Now remember that El Mirador was originally planted with Catimor. Elder has always wanted his coffee to be the best. So, in 2020, he made the bold move to completely replant El Mirador with geisha. This move is one of the things I love about Elder. He was tired of seeing low scores on the cupping table and simply replanted in one go, rather than preserving some income from the farm by replanting only a portion.

Elder’s potential has always been unquestionable. Now, into our second decade of working with him, it’s clear that he can consistently convert that potential into tasty coffee, and I know that in the years to come he will be a force to be reckoned with.

We’re proud to work with Elder, and super happy to share the fruits of his labour with you.