Pacpa

Description

Manuel Marlo Baca is a phenomenal coffee producer based at Finca Pacpa in Lonya Grande, Peru. Sourced through Khipu Coffee, this washed Peruvian Gesha is a world-class and exceptionally floral speciality coffee.

Flavour Characteristics

Best As: Filter Coffee and Black or Milk-Based Espresso Drinks. Want to pour better latte art too? Read UK Latte Art Champion Ben Lewis’s tips.

Flavour Profile: Bergamot | Jasmine | Orange Blossom | Silky Body

Origin & Producer Details

Producer: Manuel Marlo Baca

Farm: Finca Pacpa

Origin: Peru

Region: Lonya Grande, Amazonas

Variety: Gesha

Process: Anaerobic Washed

Altitude: 1,752 MASL

Sourced Via: Khipu

Want to know more about coffee from Peru? Read our Peru origin guide.

Suitable for

Espresso✓ Suitable

Filter Brewing✓ Suitable

Recommended rest

Days 0–23
Resting

Days 24–50
Best-tasting window

50+
Freeze

Recommended rest: For the best-tasting results, we recommend brewing this particular coffee 24–50 days off roast. Read our full guide to resting coffee. Learn why light roasts reward a longer rest.

Bought more than you can drink at its peak? Our guide to freezing coffee shows how to keep it tasting this good for months.

About Manuel Marlo Baca

Manuel Marlo Baca is a fourth-generation coffee producer from Roblepampa, within the Lonya Grande district of Utcubamba, Amazonas. Coffee farming has been part of his family for decades, with knowledge and land passed between successive generations.

Manuel is part of a wider coffee-producing community in Lonya Grande. Several members of his extended family also work in coffee, including his cousin Roiber Becerra.

Since 2017, Manuel has taken a leading role in improving the farm’s agronomy, processing methods and quality control. He has invested in professional training, including Q Processing Level 1, and applies a structured, experimental approach to speciality coffee production.

That commitment has already produced competition success. Manuel’s Gesha has won district-level competitions in each of the past two years, followed by a regional competition win in Amazonas.

About Finca Pacpa

Finca Pacpa is situated at the top of Roblepampa, within Pacpa village in the Lonya Grande district. The farm reaches approximately 1,850 metres above sea level, with its elevation helping to produce coffees with vibrant acidity, aromatic intensity and clarity.

Manuel cultivates Bourbon, Gesha and Pacamara at Finca Pacpa. The coffee grows within an agroforestry system alongside pine, cedar and guabo trees. These deep-rooted trees provide consistent shade while helping to regulate soil moisture across the farm.

This particular Gesha was grown on a newer 1.8-hectare section of the farm at approximately 1,752 metres above sea level. Flowering typically peaks in November, with the first cherries beginning to develop by May. The main harvest then takes place between May and October.

The Gesha Coffee Variety

Gesha is valued for its distinctive floral aromatics, elegant acidity and delicate cup structure. When grown at high altitude and processed carefully, the variety can produce remarkably clear expressions of citrus, tea and white florals.

At Finca Pacpa, the combination of high elevation, agroforestry and Manuel’s precise processing creates a particularly aromatic expression of the variety. In our roast interpretation, the coffee presents with fragrant bergamot, jasmine and orange blossom.

How Was This Coffee Processed?

Processing begins with the selective harvesting of fully ripe Gesha cherries. The cherries are floated in water to remove underdeveloped fruit before being hand-sorted to improve quality and uniformity.

The selected cherries are then pulped and inspected again to remove any remaining unripe fruit. Following pulping, the coffee undergoes 36 hours of anaerobic fermentation inside sealed vats.

During fermentation, Manuel carefully monitors the conditions inside the vats. The coffee mass is maintained at approximately 18°C, with Brix readings between 15 and 18 and a final pH between 3.8 and 4.2. These measurements help him determine how fermentation is progressing and when the desired balance of sweetness and acidity has been reached.

Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is washed three times to remove the remaining mucilage. It is then transferred to a solar dryer, where it dries gradually for approximately 15 to 20 days under controlled conditions.

Drying continues until the coffee reaches a moisture content of approximately 10% to 10.5%. The dried parchment is then rested for one month before milling, allowing its moisture content to stabilise and helping preserve the coffee’s sweetness, aromatics and clarity.

Manuel’s Approach to Coffee Production

Manuel views each harvest as an opportunity to refine his approach. Detailed record-keeping allows him to evaluate changes to fermentation, pH, shade management and cherry selection, then use the results to improve future lots.

His aim is for the final cup to reflect the care applied throughout the entire growing and processing cycle. Although he considers this Gesha another significant step forward for Finca Pacpa, he is already exploring how its complexity and structure can be developed further in future harvests.

How to Brew This Coffee

Dial In With Accuracy

Because this coffee is expressive and extremely floral, accurately measuring your dose and yield will help you hit the sweet spot. We strongly recommend using a reliable scale — see our guide to the best coffee scales and our bench favourite, the Felicita Parallel.

Brewing Tips

Rest window: Follow the recommended 24–50 days off roast for the best clarity and balance.

Filter brewing: Start with a 1:16–1:17 ratio and a medium-fine grind, adjusting to balance the coffee’s floral notes and citrus intensity. Grind quality makes a big difference with filter, so here’s our pick of the best filter coffee grinders for home.

Espresso: Start with a longer ratio, such as 1:2.2–1:2.4, to showcase the coffee’s floral aromatics, citrus character and sweetness.

Starting recipe: Orea V4, 15.5g coffee, 250g water, target brew time of approximately 2:20.

Explore More Recipes

To try recipes from world-class coffee brewers, explore our guide to the best filter coffee recipes of 2026.

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Text from Harmony Coffee's listing.