What you need to know about the Gesha
No, the name has no connection whatsoever with the traditional Japanese hostess; the Gesha variety is actually named after a city in Ethiopia around which it is widely cultivated!
There are several botanical lineages of coffee in the world, but the vast majority cultivated are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica, which accounts for about 60% of the world's coffee, can then be divided into varieties: Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Gesha/Geisha, Catuaí, Pacamara, etc. These names are similar to grape varieties in the wine world: Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, etc. These same varieties affect where and how the tree is grown, what flavor the coffee will develop, and how—in the case of coffee—it should be roasted. Bourbon, for example, is known for its sweetness; Gesha, on the other hand, for its highly aromatic profile.
Although it is found in other countries, it was the introduction of Gesha to Panama in the 1960s that propelled it to the ranks of the finest coffees. This elegant, long-leaved plant has a low yield and requires ideal conditions to thrive. The cup profile is more comparable to good Ethiopian coffees than to those from Latin America. A quality Gesha is intensely aromatic, with floral notes and a well-balanced, gentle acidity. Geshas have been cultivated in several countries with varying degrees of success; the best batches of Gesha command a high price and very often outsell any other coffee variety in the world. These are quite possibly some of the most magical cups of coffee you will ever taste.
Gesha Raquel Lasso
Our new batch of Gesha comes from Raquel Lasso, owner and operator of Finca La Bohemia and president of FUDAM. It reveals a soft and sweet profile with a fruity and vinous acidity.
The Fundación Agraria y Ambiental Para el Desarrollo Sostentible (FUDAM), with which we have already collaborated, is an association of 300 certified organic (and Rainforest Alliance certified) producers. Founded in 2000 by just seven farmers who shared a vision of sustainable agriculture and environmental protection, this group of smallholders lives near the small municipality of La Unión in Nariño. The terrain here differs greatly from that of other coffee-producing regions like Cauca: instead of walking from town to farm, as is common elsewhere, here the towns are at such a high altitude that the farms are generally located at lower elevations, surrounded by high peaks and rugged roads.
The members of FUDAM firmly believe in the principles of sustainability that led them to band together in the first place. When recently asked why the group continued to farm organically despite increasing pressure to rely on chemical inputs, the association's leadership explained: "This is how we live, these are our values and our way of life.
Farmers pick their coffee during the day and pulp it in the afternoon, typically fermenting the batches for 16 to 24 hours in a dry state. The coffees are usually washed two to three times before being dried in small "casa elbas," or parabolic dryers. This type of mechanical drying takes 25 to 40 hours, while other drying methods can take up to 15 days.
