A super clean anaerobic natural process Gesha from a globally-respected producer. The cup makes us dream of Campari, raspberry and bubble gum!

VERY SPECIAL

Or should we say Very, Very Special?

To start with, it’s an Anaerobic Natural process Gesha varietal. If you’re a beginner in the world of coffee, we explain more about what those mean below; if you’re a seasoned member of the Sample Coffee community, you know that’s a rare and precious thing!

Then, it’s the producer—Alejo Castro Khale from Finca Volcán Azul. He is a descendant of Alejo C. Jiménez, who got into the coffee business in Costa Rica at the beginning of the 19th century and is a renowned specialty producer and communicator.

For all these reasons and its clean and complex flavour profile (Campari, bubble gum!!), this coffee is our choice for this December’s Brew Crew VS edition.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER

In the words of the producers themselves: “In the early 19th century, when coffee production was just taking root in America, two pioneers and entrepreneurs, Alejo C. Jiménez in Costa Rica and Wilhelm Kahle in the south of Mexico, unknowingly shared the same dream: ‘To produce the best coffee in the world’ to satisfy the new and discerning European gourmet market. Today, the descendants of these visionary farmers continue to produce coffee with the same ideals of excellence and top quality that inspired their ancestors in Costa Rica.

Nowadays, the descendants of Don Alejo C. and Don Wilhelm aim to further enhance the principles of quality inherited from their founders by adding the value of conservancy of natural resources. This involves acquiring extensions of natural rainforest for protection and conservation—a tangible contribution to reducing air contamination and global warming.

These actions, not just words, represent the small steps taken by one family to benefit mankind and pass on a new awareness to future generations. Currently, the farm is managed by Alejo Khale Castro. His dedication to quality and innovative drive have consistently positioned Volcán Azul in Coffee of Excellence competitions!

Here’s an interview with April Coffee Roasters in Denmark:

ABOUT THE VARIETAL

Gesha (also known as Geisha) is a variety known for its exceptional cupping quality, but also for its susceptibility to diseases and low yield potential. This combination has made it a precious produce, paid almost the highest in the coffee trade market.

"This variety was originally collected from coffee forests in Ethiopia in the 1930s. From there, it was sent to the Lyamungu research station in Tanzania, and then brought to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in the 1953, where it was logged as accession T2722. It was distributed throughout Panama via CATIE in the 1960s after it had been recognised for tolerance to coffee leaf rust. However, the plant’s branches were brittle and not favored by farmers so it was not widely planted. The coffee came to prominence in 2005 when the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered it into the "Best of Panama” competition and auction. It received exceptionally high marks and broke the then-record for green coffee auction prices, selling for over $20/pound.

[…]It is associated with extremely high cup quality when the plants are managed well at high altitude, and is known for its delicate floral, jasmine, and peach-like aromas.

As of December 2023, our team has agreed to use the ‘Gesha’ variation when referring to this variety (previously we had written the version given by the coffee importer).

“The spellings Geisha and Gesha are often used interchangeably, relating to the fact that there is no set translation from the dialects of Ethiopia to English.

The coffee was first recorded in germplasm records with the spelling “Geisha,” and coffee researchers and germplasm banks have mostly maintained that spelling over many decades, leading that spelling to be promoted and used first in the coffee industry.

The coffee was originally collected in Ethiopia in a region close to a mountain whose name is most commonly rendered in English as Gesha. Consequently, many in the coffee industry have preferred to rescue that spelling.”

Source of above varietal info: World Coffee Research
More on the spelling dilemma and trends: Stop Calling It “Geisha” Already - Sprudge

ABOUT THE HARVEST AND PROCESS

Pre-harvest: This is the part of the process that receives less attention, yet it’s probably the most important in processing great quality coffee. Constant hard work over the years is essential because even a short period of neglect can spoil all the work done. To develop a well-rounded coffee bean with complex flavours, it’s crucial to plant the best varieties, maintain healthy soil, protect plantations from diseases, and ensure sustainability for constant high quality over the years.

Harvest: It’s fundamental that we pick the cherries at the optimum level of ripeness. This allows us to have more complex flavours in our cup of coffee. We measure the brix content of the mucilage of the coffee cherries to determine the best time to pick them. Usually, we start at 22 brix content (depending on the variety, but we have had measurements of 28 or even 30).

Wet mill: The first step is to measure the cherries coming from the plantation by truck or tractor. We measure the cherries by volume using a 200-litre box; two of these give us one fanega (400 litres), resulting in approximately 46 kg of green coffee. After this, we separate floaters, which are typically unripe, overdried, or defective cherries. At this step, we also clean the coffee from branches, leaves, dirt, and any other foreign matter from the field. We then decide on the process for the harvested lot. It’s crucial to slow-dry our coffee to preserve quality. More mucilage, pulp, and time mean more fermentation during the drying process.

Processing - Anaerobic: We use anaerobic tanks with a valve that lets the oxygen out, replaced with CO2. We develop different recipes by measuring time, temperature, pH or acidity of the mucilage, and brix content of the mucilage inside the tank. It’s important to note that we don’t add anything strange to this process; we aim to develop or enhance flavours naturally present in our coffee with the help of autochthonous yeast from our farm. After this, the coffee is taken to the drying patio or raised beds, stirred each day from 8 am to 2 pm. At 2 pm, we start covering the coffee with plastic to maintain warmth during the night and prevent humidity absorption from the morning mist. This process takes around 16 days, depending on the weather.

 

Sourcing and ingredients

100% Gesha coffee beans, provided by Condesa Co.Lab and roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Packaging

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

Producer

Alejo Castro Khale

Farm/Coop

Finca Volcán Azul

Country

Costa Rica

Region

Tarrazú

Altitude

1500-1700m above sea level

Varietals

Gesha

Process

Anaerobic Natural

Body

Acidity

Tasting notes

Campari, raspberry and bubble gum

Roast style

Omni