029 - Alina Milagros

We anticipate this coffee will be roasted for 2026 reservations the week of August 2, 2026 with public sale to follow.

The eighth release of our 2026 season showcases the quality potential of "Inca Gesha"—a cultivar with mysterious origins and genetically similar to the fabled Scott Labs Selection 09 from Kenya— when grown at high elevations and processed carefully. This bright, juicy coffee from Alina Milagros presents with vibrant notes of lemongrass, jasmine, orange and green melon with a tamarind-like tanginess and undertone of raspberry.

From Christopher: "In January, I published a long-form piece exploring the history, mystery and speculation surrounding the cultivar grown in Peru known as “Inca Gesha,” which genetic testing by RD2 Vision revealed to be closely related and perhaps identical to Scott Labs Selection 09—despite the fact that SL-9 was never distributed nor known to be planted outside of Kenya. The cultivar has gained an enthusiastic international following among roasters who prize its Gesha-like florality, intense citrus-like sweetness and high cup potential. This, in turn, has led to its adoption by small producers in Cusco—and increasingly other regions of Peru—transforming the economic opportunity for those specialty coffee producers in the highest elevations.

"During a conversation with Benjamin Montgomery of Typica, he mentioned reading my piece and observed that a couple of the SL9s they'd contracted for 2026 were quite exceptional. I asked to taste them, as a palate reference, even though he noted that they were no longer available as the pre-contracting window had passed.

"Among the SL-9 samples on the table, one stood out as sweeter, brighter, more floral—a turned-up version of the others. It had come from Alina Milagros, a smallholder who farms on two hectares at an elevation of 2,400 meters above sea level in the Tablahuasi sector of the Ocobamba district in Cusco. Her farm is remote—accessible only via a rustic wooden bridge which Alina and her family cross daily to purchase supplies and carry out farm work until it, inevitably, washes away each year during the rainy season. The farm's high elevations and the availability of water enable Alina to produce coffee of exceptionally high quality—as evinced by the sample I tasted.

"I sent my feedback to Benjamin and asked if he’d be willing to ask Alina and her exporter if there was any more of the coffee available. I said I'd pay whatever was required, and that if any of the original buyers backed out, I'd be happy to step in and purchase the remainder of the lot as well. In the end, we were able to purchase all but 20kg.

"I'm thrilled to continue to tell the story of Inca Gesha through this microlot, which presents in the cup juicy and bright with notes of lemongrass, jasmine, orange and green melon with a tamarind-like tanginess and undertone of raspberry."