We are very excited to offer a special treat this holiday season. One trend the specialty coffee industry has seen take hold over the past few years is the focus on developing and refining certain cultivars (also called varietals or sub-species) of the coffea arabica plant. One of the most sought-after of these cultivars is known as the ‘Gesha’ cultivar.

The Gesha (or Geisha) varietal of the coffea arabica plant was originally collected from coffee forests in Ethiopia in the 1930s. The coffee came to prominence in 2005 when the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered it into the “Best of Panama” competition and auction where it received exceptionally high marks and broke the then-record for green coffee auction prices. It is associated with extremely high cup quality when the plants are managed well at high altitude and is known for its complexity, delicate floral aromas, and silky, lingering mouthfeel. Gesha varietals have become extremely sought-after, and we’re excited to share some of this extremely small lot. Guatemala produces fewer Geshas than countries like Panama and Colombia, making this lot even more unique.

Los Volcanes Coffee (LVC), headquartered in Antigua Guatemala near Lake Atitlan, has been a supplier of ours since Day 1, and this coffee marks another evolution of an already solid and deeply appreciated relationship. As operators of the Benefico la Esperanza wet mill, we’ve worked with LVC to source most of our Guatemalan and Brazilian coffees and see consistently excellent results from their dedication to quality, sustainability, and consistency.

Per LVC’s Dan Griffin, “Located in the mountains of San Juan Sacatepéquez, at an average altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level, all lots are processed using artisanal methods, with strict quality controls. San Ramón has been in the same family for three generations, evolving through various stages of production over time. Reforestation efforts have remained an important priority while the current approach combines coffee cultivation with areas where native forest cover is maintained. Processing is washed and then fermented in barrels.  It takes us the whole harvest to build this lot. The gesha plant is a tall gangly plant that generally has low productivity, and it requires many passes in order to pick the ripe cherries. At the mill we run a special line to depulp this variety. It requires us to recalibrate the machines so as not to damage them; you will notice when looking at the green, they are slightly more slender and elongated than most varieties. After depulping, the coffee is moved to large barrels where we can ferment the coffee.  Our normal tanks are way too large to process this coffee.”

Requiring an entire harvest to create, this special lot showcases what is possible with traditional techniques refined over generations. This same dedication carries through to the roasting of this exceptional coffee. A lighter roast than some of our other coffees and sold in 8oz servings, this coffee is best brewed in small batches and best ground a little finer than you’d normally grind to get full, balanced extraction. We love the subtle grapefruit acidity up front, followed by sweet, juicy nectarine and finishing with a long, lingering jasmine and wildflower florality. One final unique element of this coffee is that the complexity increases as it cools. As an experiment, continue sipping every few minutes until 30+ minutes after brewing and see how the flavors evolve.

This is an excellent coffee, and we’re so excited to share it. Happy Holidays!