Colombia Finca La Riviera Gesha
Captain's Gold top 3! Crisp, refreshing and floral, this Gesha offers a prime example of what made the variety famous. But what we really like about it, is a candy-like sweetness that provides excellent balance to an otherwise front heavy cup! We noted cherry candy, key lime, hibiscus, lemongrass and even a touch of cane syrup.
The Gesha (or Geisha if you prefer) variety first entered the coffee mainstream in Panama where it gained huge popularity after winning a Cup of Excellence competition, but it quickly spread to nearby Guatemala and Colombia. While Panamanian Gesha continues to demand the highest market prices, Guatemalan and Colombian producers are refining their Gesha crops and are making some huge waves. This offering from Finca La Riviera is a prime example of what Colombian Gesha is capable of and all without the Panamanian price premium!
Gesha is most widely known for it’s crisp, vibrant acidity, clear florality and a super clean finish. This excellent example fits that bill well and also brings some candy-like sweetness to the cup that helps provide excellent balance. Much like our Pink Bourbon, also from La Riviera, it’s also a full bodied, yet refreshing cup with “summertime iced coffee” written all over it. In our cups, we noted key lime, cherry candy, hibiscus, lemongrass and cane syrup.
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: April 5th, 2024 Harvest: 2022-23 Crop, Vacuum Sealed
Acidity & Brightness: Crisp acidity with excellent sweetness
Balance & Finish: Very balanced with a quick, clean finish
Body & Texture: Full bodied with a creamy texture
Flavors: Cherry candy, lime, hibiscus, lemongrass & cane syrup
Grade: Excelso, grown at 1500 masl
Processing: Washed – 18 hour fermentation then fully washed and sun dried on raised for 20 day and finally mechanically dried for 5 days
Grower: Julio Madrid | Finca La Riviera | Café UBA
Region: Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda Department, Colombia
Varieties: Gesha (Geisha)
Recommended Roast Range: City to Full City (Light to medium)
We like this coffee best at City to Full City (Light to medium). Most roasters will have the most balanced cup at City+ (Light-medium) or near the end of 1st crack. If you’d like the florals and vibrant acidity to be front and center, end the roast as early as 30 seconds to 1 minute into 1st crack. Full City roasts (between 1st and 2nd crack) will offer more rounded candy-like sweetness and a touch more body at the expense of the more subtle floral notes. We don’t recommend pushing this coffee into 2nd crack or you’ll completely lose the florals.
Café UBA
"Café UBA is a group of coffee producers located in the heart of the coffee cultural landscape, created by third-generation coffee growers who are passionate about the flavors and aromas of specialty coffees and interested in recreational aspects of coffee such as: its preparation, enjoyment and sharing. We take care of the production of 100% Colombian specialty coffees, sustainably sourced and responsibly made.To evolve and complement our knowledge in the area of exotic coffee production, La Riviera was born. A farm of experiences and sensations, selected as a producer of one of the best exotic coffees in Colombia. Finca La Riviera is a mixture of talents for the selection of the best beans, the respect and assurance of each process, as well as the commitment to bring to the table, a unique cup of coffee with aromas and flavors that express in the palate all the complexity, the beauty of the landscape and the coffee culture.
This Gesha variety has been cultivated for over 12 years in its own dedicated corner of La Riviera. Over those years we’ve pruned and cared for the plants meticulously to keep them healthy.
