La Roca — Gesha Washed

Gesha is the most name-dropped variety in coffee, which is exactly why we're slow with it. Most of what crosses our cupping table is expensive and forgettable. Then this one: jasmine, bergamot, Earl Grey, lime. All four, every cup, every time we went back to the table. The argument ended there.

Jorge Rojas farms La Roca in Planadas, Tolima, at 1,900 meters. Volcanic ash under everything, up to 2,200 millimeters of rain a year, and cool nights that slow the cherry down and let it build sugar. He and his pickers take ripe cherry only. Whatever doesn't belong gets hand-sorted and floated out before it leaves the farm.

Then the fermentation. Forty-five hours, aerobic, on Cofinet's protocol — long enough to pull the aromatics forward, controlled tightly enough that the fruit never tips over. Then pulped, washed clean, and ten days on parabolic dryers, spread thin and turned by hand. 

Gesha punishes heat. The bean is long and thin-walled, and it takes a burner faster than it looks like it should. Push it and the jasmine is the first thing to go, and it does not come back. We sample roasted this lot before we touched the production roaster and watched it hold its moisture all the way through, then release it in one hard spike right at first crack — which told us exactly where the floor was. So we go light. Genuinely light. We drop it seconds after the first crack clears.

In the cup: jasmine first. Then bergamot. Then lime underneath, holding the whole thing up. The body is tea — silky and weightless, but not thin — and if you drink Earl Grey you'll know exactly what's happening here. The finish is long, clean and still floral on the way out.

Give it at least a week off roast if you can. A very light washed Gesha opens slowly, and this one is worth waiting for.

Under 50 bags (12 oz / 340g each). It will not be restocked.

Quick specs

• Region: Planadas, Tolima, Colombia
• Farm: La Roca (Jorge Rojas)
• Variety: Gesha
• Process: Washed, 45-hour fermentation
• Drying: 10 days, parabolic dryers
• Altitude: 1,900m
• Roast: Light
• Tasting notes: Jasmine, bergamot, lime
• Best for: Pour over, drip, AeroPress, Modern Espresso
• Lot size: Under 50 bags

Common questions

What is Gesha coffee?
Gesha (also spelled Geisha) is a coffee variety originally collected in the Gori Gesha forest of southwestern Ethiopia and later planted in Latin America, where it became famous after Panamanian lots won international competitions in the mid-2000s. It is prized for intense floral aromatics — jasmine and bergamot in particular — a tea-like body, and a long, clean finish. It is low-yielding and difficult to grow, which is why it costs what it costs.

Is this a washed or a natural Gesha?
Washed. The cherry ferments for 45 hours, then gets pulped, washed clean, and dried for 10 days on parabolic dryers. A washed Gesha reads floral and transparent rather than jammy — nothing is added and there is nowhere for a flaw to hide.

What does this coffee taste like?
Jasmine first, then bergamot, then lime underneath. Silky, tea-like body and a long floral finish. Bright but not sharp.

Why is it roasted so light?
Gesha's aromatics are the first thing heat destroys, and they don't come back. We drop this lot seconds after first crack clears — far enough to fully develop the coffee, not one degree further.

How should I brew it?
However you like. Give it about a week off the roast date if you can — very light washed coffees open up slowly.

Can I subscribe to this coffee?
No. Limited drops are one-time purchases — under 50 bags, no restock.