Finca Pacpa - Manuel Marlo Baca - Washed Geisha - Nanolot

Who is Manuel Marlo Baca? 

Manuel Marlo Baca is an experienced and passionate coffee producer from Roblepampa, in the Lonya Grande district of Utcubamba, Amazonas. A fourth-generation coffee grower, his farm and knowledge have been passed down through his family for decades. Like many producers in this part of Lonya Grande, his extended family also works in coffee—most notably his cousin, Roiber Becerra, whose coffees you’ll also find in our offer list.

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

His commitment to precision has already translated into real success: Manuel’s Geisha coffee has won district-level competitions for the past two years, and this year he earned a regional competition win, a significant recognition within Amazonas that reflects both his skill and the growing reputation of his farm.

About Manuel and Finca Pacpa

Manuel’s farm sits at the top of Roblepampa, within Pacpa village, at 1850m, an altitude known for producing coffees with intense tropical fruit notes, vibrant acidity, and remarkable clarity. The farm cultivates Bourbon, Geisha, and Pacamara, grown under an agroforestry system that includes Pine, Cedar, and Guabo trees. These deep-rooted native trees help stabilise soil moisture and provide tall, consistent shade. 

This Geisha lot comes from the new lower section of the farm, covering 1.8 hectares at 1752 masl. The harvest follows a well-defined seasonal rhythm: blooming peaks in November, first cherries form by May, and the full harvest spans May to October.

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How was the coffee processed?

Manuel applies a rigorous, data-driven approach to processing his Geisha, beginning with meticulous cherry selection. Ripe cherries are harvested at peak maturity, floated to remove any under-developed fruit, and then hand-screened to ensure uniformity before pulping. After a second visual check to remove any unripe cherries, the coffee moves into controlled fermentation.

The lot undergoes a 36-hour anaerobic fermentation in sealed vats, during which the mass maintains a temperature of 18°C, the Brix ranges between 15 and 18, and the final pH stabilises at 3.8–4.2. Once the desired acidity and sugar breakdown are achieved, the coffee is washed three times to reset the flavour structure and remove residual mucilage. It is then transferred to a solar dryer, where it dries for 15–20 days in a controlled environment until reaching 10–10.5% moisture, ensuring clarity, stability, and clean expression in the cup.

After drying, the parchment is rested for one month, a phase Manuel considers essential for allowing sweetness, aromatics, and complexity to fully settle before milling. His method reflects both technical precision and an evolving philosophy—each harvest acts as an experiment, shaped by detailed record-keeping and a drive to refine quality with every season.

What Manuel wants you to know

Manuel is driven by the pursuit of continuous improvement. He views each harvest not just as a production cycle but as a chance to refine his craft—adjusting fermentation, monitoring pH, experimenting with shade management, and improving cherry selection.

His goal is for each final cup to reflect the best practices applied across the entire growing season. He believes this Geisha represents another step forward, but he is already planning how to elevate the complexity and structure even further next year.

How does Khipu Coffee know the producer?

We first met Manuel through Instagram. The coffee community in this part of Amazonas is interconnected, and it didn’t take long to realise that he was close friends and family with producers we already work with. Manuel was eager to develop a direct relationship with us, having previously worked mainly with regional associations and cooperatives in Jaén.

His motivation aligned with ours: higher premiums for quality, stronger long-term partnerships, and the opportunity for his coffee to reach specialised markets in the UK and Europe. In 2025, we visited Manuel and his family at their farm.

Our thoughts on developing this relationship

Manuel is both ambitious and grounded—an ideal combination for long-term collaboration in specialty coffee. He understands what the market values, invests deliberately in quality, and communicates clearly about his goals. This season, we purchased his entire Pacamara harvest and are now exploring how to position his Geisha within our range.

We believe Manuel has significant potential for growth, and his disciplined approach to processing is reflected in the consistency of his results. As we continue to work together, our aim is to help him establish his coffees as recognised, recurring offerings for roasters looking to deepen their portfolio of Peruvian nano and microlots from the Amazonas region.