Challenging the Cult of Purity
Available now
What if the most sought-after coffee variety in the world — Geisha — was never really pure to begin with?
In collaboration with Advance.Coffee — a non-profit organization supporting coffee research and innovation — we are launching a roasted coffee series that questions the mythology of purity in specialty coffee.
The Fake Geisha project draws on cutting-edge genetic analysis to reveal that many coffees sold as "Geisha" are, in fact, hybrids — blends of Geisha with other varieties. Rather than treating this as a scandal, we celebrate it. These hybrids often outperform their "pure" counterparts in the cup.
Lot 002
Our second release is a washed Geisha from Peru — sourced through APU Coffee Traceability Peru from Eudis Orosco and Victoria Atao at Finca Bella Vista, high in the Incahuasi Valley of Cusco at 2,230 metres above sea level.
And here is the twist this project lives for: genetically, it is not Geisha. It is Geisha Inca — a local mutation of SL9, an Ethiopian heirloom grown in these mountains for decades. Not the famous Panamanian variety, but a beautiful accident that scored 89+ — full-bodied, with boysenberry and a rich, wine-like acidity.
Sourced via APU Coffee Traceability Peru. Roasted in Berlin by Kresten Thørgersen at Father Carpenter.
Lot 001 (Archive)
Our first release is a washed coffee from a single producer in Central America, sold to us as Geisha. Genetic fingerprinting revealed it to be a Geisha × Ethiopian Landrace hybrid — a beautiful accident of nature.
In the cup: jasmine, bergamot, white peach, and a silky body that lingers. It scored 88+ on the SCA scale and was roasted for espresso at our facility.
"The idea that genetic purity equals quality is a myth. Some of the best cups we've ever tasted came from accidental crosses."
— Advance.Coffee Research Team