Calderon - Washed Gesha - Colombia

Roast Profile: Light

Filter roast

Notes of: Floral, Clean, Stone Fruits

• Variety: Gesha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1700 MASL

 About this coffee

Geisha, Washed, Colombia

This Lot has been produced by Julian Calderon in Palestina in the Huila region of Colombia. After tasing this coffee on our cupping table we were desperate to find out more about it and who produced it. We spoke to our pal Herbert Penaloza, co-owner of the LaREB cooperative where we sourced this coffee from, and even he did not know much about the elusive Julian.

What we do know is that this is Julian’s first-ever coffee. Herbert told us “Julián is most likely a coffee virtuoso, but we do not know it yet. He probably doesn’t either. This is the first harvest of his first small plot with a Gesha varietal. The same seeds have yielded amazing cups in the hands of more experienced local producers, with recognition as high as COE finals. But Julian’s cup is superior. Complex, clear, with no room for disagreement. It is probably a result of the lack of glitter, the modest approach. This is an honest, straightforward coffee, intended to be like that. The first step in the career of someone with a possible bright future ahead.”

Huila is naturally blessed with optimal coffee growing geography but the key to great quality coffees from the area are the growers themselves. Coffee farming within the region is overwhelmingly small-scale. Approximately 80% of producers from the region farm coffee on less than 3 hectares of land. These small farms are tended by individual families, with labour very rarely contracted out, which leads to more thorough and intensive management practices and great pride in the final product.

One of the most famous and exclusive coffee varieties in the world, Gesha was originally discovered in Ethiopia in the 1930s. It has since become synonymous with Panama and much of Central/South America and known for reaching record breaking prices in auction markets. This high prices are the result of high demand combined with the fact that Gesha is a particularly tricky variety to grow. It has a much lower yield than other varietals and a delicate balance of mineral rich soil needed for the cherries to thrive.

This should be used a recommended start, not an absolute. Why not check out our novice guide to find out how to get the best out of your coffee?

*Our coffee is freshly roasted each Monday and orders are dispatched on Wednesday and Friday. Due to COVID-19 Royal Mail are still experiencing delays which means your coffee may arrive a few days later than normal. Apologies for any inconvenience.