OMG MASTERPIECES / COLOMBIA - WILTON BENITEZ GEISHA | omni

A funky, delicate, and intensely fruity geisha from Wilton Benitez.

Incredibly complex, it bursts with notes of passion fruit, orange blossom, and violet, layered over a vibrant sweetness. The cup finishes with a mouth-watering acidity and lingering flavors of white grape and peach candy. Thanks to Wilton Benitez’s advanced processing techniques, this is one of those rare coffees that every coffee lover should experience at least once this year, a simply unforgettable microlot!

ORIGIN: Colombia
PRODUCER: Finca La Macarena | Granja Paraiso 92 by Wilton Benitez
REGION: Piendamó, Cauca
GROWING ALTITUDE: 1950m.
VARIETAL: Geisha
PROCESS: Anaerobic washed 96H + thermal shock
ROAST PROFILE: Light omni roast (both for filter or for a fruity espresso)
ACIDITY ◼◼◼◼◻

The Producer.

Wilton Benitez is at the forefront of innovation in coffee processing and is doing amazing things to create unique and masterful flavors. He is a chemical engineer turned high-end coffee grower and his science background, coupled with decades of experience in coffee growing/tasting, have led to some of the most unique and nuanced coffees we’ve experienced.

Finca La Macarena is one of Wilton Benitez's three farms, located in the municipality of Piendamo, Cauca, southern Colombia. The Cauca region in Colombia benefits from a stable climate and protection from Pacific winds. Low night time temperatures enhance coffee cherries' sugar content and acidity, resulting in sweet, fruity notes. The diverse terrain produces varied coffee characteristics, and the region is known for unique micro-lots and nano-lots with distinct profiles.

Wilton is a passionate coffee producer, an example of how steadfast determination, unwavering passion and having a vision can yield significant results also in the realm of coffee cultivation. In 2019, his coffee set a new record for the international auction price of Colombian coffee. From then on, his motivation and creativity has only grown. Wilton's passion for coffee cultivation started in his youth and evolved with his growing interest in technology. This combination of interests led him to integrate advanced technology into coffee farming, resulting in some of the industry's most innovative coffees.

Today, he is well-known among consumers actively seeking his unique offerings. His family farm, Finca Paraiso-92, produces over 20 coffee varietals using advanced cultivation techniques. It features a microbiology lab, quality lab, and processing plant. The coffee production involves careful selection, sterilization, and characterization of cherries, followed by controlled anaerobic fermentation. Every step of the process is meticulously monitored from start to finish.

Today, his project encompasses three farms - La Macarena, Las Brisas and Granja Paraíso92 - spanning more than 100 hectares, 20 of which are designated as protected forests. Two other multi-generational farmers, Darwin and Oscar, believed in Wilton's vision and experience, investing in the largest farms, Las Brisas and La Macarena, so that the entire project would focus on understanding cultivars, improving seeds, while experimenting and learning through data collected in coffee processing and its conjunction with agronomy and adaptation to the land. It is noteworthy that these farms refrain from employing chemical methods to control rust. This includes the application of four fertilizations annually, with two of them being exclusively organic.

The Process.

This coffee was processed with one stage of washed anaerobic fermentation. The meticulous processes applied to geisha beans commence with a rigorous selection, sterilization, and characterization of the cherries, followed by one phase of controlled anaerobic fermentation designed specifically for each variety and lot.

Selectively harvested ripe cherries are first sterilized with ozonated water and ultraviolet light. The coffee is then depulped and an anaerobic yeast fermentation takes place in bioreactors for 96 hours. At the end of the fermentation, the coffee seeds are subjected to a thermal shock (first a high temperature to swell the beans and allow the unique flavors and aromas from the initial anaerobic yeast fermentation to penetrate the seeds, then a cold temperature to constrict the beans and lock in those unique flavors and aromas.) After this the coffee seeds are gently rinsed and washed, the coffee then undergoes controlled drying until the beans reach 10.5% internal humidity.

This coffee will benefit from rest after roasting, with peak flavor achieved between 10 to 13 days.