This is our second year working with SL9 from Julio Arotaype. Grown at the highest elevation of any farm we work with in Central and South America, this coffee delivers exceptional complexity. In the cup we find aromatic florality, layered stone fruit, and melon.
SL9
La Convención, Cusco
2,404 masl
October, 2024
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated. Depulped. Dry-fermented for 36 hours. Washed. Dried on raised beds until moisture content reaches 10.5%.
ABOUT JULIO AROTAYPE
Julio Arotaype is a young producer growing SL9 at extreme altitudes in the mountains outside of Cusco. We finally had the chance to visit Julio and his farm, Sol Naciente, and it is nothing short of breathtaking. Last year, we mistakenly marketed this coffee as Gesha—locally referred to as “Inca Gesha”—believed to be part of the Gesha lineage. However, deeper genetic testing revealed that most of what is called Inca Gesha is actually SL9, which, in our view, is an even more unique and exciting variety.
ABOUT SL9
Colloquially known as “Gesha Inca,” SL9 is a rare cultivar belonging to the Ethiopian Legacy group. While its exact genetic fingerprint does not currently exist in the database, it closely resembles SL09, which is why we refer to it as SL9. “SL” is in reference to single tree selections made by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in 1935-1939, and slight genetic variations from ancient, less well-identified references are scientifically acceptable. While SL28, SL34, and Mibirizi are the most widely grown cultivars from the SL selections, SL09—and by extension, SL9—remains uncommon in cultivation today.
Pricing Details
FARM GATE (LOCAL; PARCHMENT)
43.48 Soles/KG
VIA AIR
$23.76/KG
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.