Sherpa Highlands Estate

Pemba Dorje's grandfather planted the first coffee seedlings on these Solukhumbu terraces in 1961, an act of quiet agricultural revolution at an altitude most thought impossible for coffee. Today the estate spans 4.2 hectares of meticulously maintained terraces, each row hand-weeded, each cherry individually hand-picked at peak ripeness.

The farm sits within the buffer zone of Sagarmatha National Park, meaning chemical inputs are strictly prohibited and organic practices are not a marketing choice but a legal requirement — and a point of fierce pride for Pemba. Shade trees of alder and tree-ferns create a microclimate that slows cherry development and concentrates sugars, contributing to the lot's characteristic sweetness and floral complexity.

After harvesting, cherries travel by local porter (no roads reach this altitude) to the family's own washing station below the snowline. The fully-washed process uses cold spring water from a glacier-fed stream, producing exceptional cup clarity.