MARCUS HERRERA, PERU

Marcos Herrera’s Geisha comes from the village of Rodriguez Tafur in Lonya Grande, in Peru’s Amazonas region. Grown around 1,660–1,700 metres above sea level, this nano-lot is built on slow cherry maturation and careful picking. It is also the same farm name recorded as a top-performing lot in the 2024 Peru Cup of Excellence, where Mamaruntu placed 14th with a Geisha natural. 

The processing here is a controlled anaerobic natural. Only fully ripe cherries are selected, then washed and fermented in cherry for roughly 72 hours in sealed tubs to limit oxygen and hold the fermentation on a tighter track. Drying is deliberately slow: whole cherry is moved into solar dryers for around 30 days, stabilising at roughly 10.5–11% moisture. 

In the cup, this sits in the “structured natural” lane rather than loud, boozy fruit. Expect a floral top line and a creamy texture, with blueberry sweetness carrying through the finish. Depending on roast and recipe, the fruit can read more tropical, but the core is clarity plus sweetness, not ferment. 

IMPORTER

Sourced through Khipu Coffee, a Peru-focused green coffee exporter and importer supplying the UK and Europe. Their model is direct sourcing with producer relationships built in person, including cupping and farm visits. For Marcos’ coffees, Khipu describes meeting via Alpes Andinos and building a repeat buying relationship from 2023 onwards. 

FARM

Mamaruntu is a small family farm recorded at 2.5 hectares, run by Marcos Herrera Bustamante with his wife Kari (Kary) and their son Marko Aurelio. The farm is connected to the family’s earlier “Oso Perdido” land and is named after a Chachapoyas princess in local history. 

VARIETY

Geisha

Geisha is associated with exceptional cup quality at higher altitudes and is known for delicate, high-definition aromatics when managed well. In this context, the variety provides the floral “lift” while the natural process adds sweetness and a rounder texture. 

PROCESS

Anaerobic Natural (extended fermentation)

Ripe cherry is washed, then fermented whole for around 72 hours in sealed containers. Drying follows in solar dryers for roughly 30 days until the coffee stabilises around 10.5–11% moisture.

The Cup of Excellence classification records the lot as Natural; fermentation timing can vary by harvest, so treat the 72-hour figure as the current lot’s stated method rather than a permanent rule. 

ROAST PROFILE

Roast to keep florals clean and sweetness forward. A slightly longer mid-phase can help lock in the “creamy” texture without flattening acidity. If you push too hard late, you risk turning blueberry into generic dark-fruit and losing the Geisha’s lift, so keep the finish tight and the roast even.

ESPRESSO RECIPE

DOSE

18 g in
40–44 g out

TIME

26–32 seconds

Flavour: 

Floral sweetness, blueberry, light cream. 

OREA RECIPE

Starting point calibrated for processed coffees, using a slightly cooler temperature to favour sweetness. 

DOSE

12g coffee to 200g water

TIME

2.5 - 3 minutes

Bloom with 40 g for 30 seconds, stir gently. Pour to 120 g, then finish to 200 g at around 1:15.

Aim for a smooth, even drawdown