ROAST | LIGHT

ORIGIN | GESHA VILLAGE, ETHIOPIA

NOTES | JASMINE, MEYER LEMON, RASPBERRY, POMEGRANATE, COMPLEX

BLACK LABEL RELEASE #10

If you are like us, you've come to expect truly exceptional things from the team at Gesha Village. Our newest Black Label offering is absolutely no different! We have purchased a few select lots from the Gesha Village Estate, harvested in January and February of 2021. These coffees are crazy early and we are so excited to offer some of the freshest coffee from Gesha Village in the world. We will be releasing these lots over the coming weeks, so there is much to look forward to!

The Gesha Village Estate has shown great care and attention to detail in selecting and cultivating wild varietals from the forests of Ethiopia, where the coffee tree originates. The Narsha Lot #44 is comprised entirely of a varietal they have named Gesha 1931. This name is based on the year when Gesha varietal coffees are believed to have been first taken to Costa Rica and subsequently Colombia and Panama. The 1931 varietal is genetically almost identical to what is cultivated in Panama where so much hype around the Gesha varietal has been generated in the last 10ish years. 

This naturally processed coffee is what we view as the archetype for naturally processed coffee from the Gesha Village Estate. It is processed at elevation, meaning the processing is happening at the same location where the coffee is grown. This lot is not the fruitiest coffee in the world, but it is intensely floral and sweet. The crisp raspberry fruitiness, vibrant jasmine florals, and cup complexity are why we fell in love with coffee from the Gesha Village Estate. This coffee exemplifies all of that so well. Getting to share coffees that excite us with the world is why we do what we do. So please, enjoy this coffee and we hope it excites you for what is coming very soon! 

Origin: Gori Gesha Forest, Gesha Village, Ethiopia  

Producers: Gesha Village Estate

Process: Natural 

Variety: Gesha 1931

Elevation: 1963 - 1977 masl

Harvest: 1/25/21 - 2/16/21

We have purchased coffee from the Gamatui Community for three consecutive years now and this year we purchased a ton of the Gamatui Natural knowing how much our community would love it. We also had Kawacom (the organization that built the Sipi Falls Washing station) set aside 10 bags in advance to experiment with high-impact fermentation styles. This process set it the combination of those efforts showing off the regular natural processing of Gamatui to the high-impact fermentation styles of the Hydrowashed and Anaerobic Natural. 

Set includes one 12oz bag of each of the Gamatui Series | 

1 ) Gamatui Natural | Grape Candy, Apricot, Milk Chocolate

This particular coffee shows an amazingly clean, clear fruit character with a lovely medium plus acidity. Every step along the way we have been encouraged by the amazing flavors and willingness to innovate with this project. We hope to continue with this project long-term. This natural processed coffee is dried on raised beds (but in a much thinner layer than is typical). The dried coffee is then hand-sorted for quality. This coffee has a soft, velvety body with notes of strawberry, grape candy, and apricot. 

2) Gamatui Anaerobic Natural | Grape Candy, Aged Rum, Mixed Berry, Tropical Fruits

This was the first attempt to use bag-held fermentation for the Sipi Falls washing station. Still, Kyle pushed for them to be ambitious with the fermentation impact. We're thrilled with the results! This coffee has such a unique drinking experience - the coffee dramatically changes scent and flavor as it cools to room temperature.

Freshly brewed, this coffee has such a distinct grape candy scent and flavor which we've come to love about Gamatui Natural. There is a notable liquor aroma we find reminiscent of barrel-aged rum,  from the high impact of the fermentation process. However, as the coffee cools, the booziness fades away and you are left with that grape scent coupled with the flavors of incredibly sweet tropical fruits - think mango and lychee. 

3) Gamatui Hydrowashed | Delicate Florals, White Grape, Apple, Dark Honey

Our third coffee from the Gamatui Community this year completes what we like to think of as a fermentation impact gradient. This coffee, Gamatui Hydrowashed is the lowest on the scale of fermentation impact, with Gamatui Anaerobic Natural being the highest. We are very thankful to Tim Hill at Atlantic Specialty Coffee (the importer of our Gamatui coffees) for helping these experimental lots come to life. 

Producer: Gamatui Community, Sipi Falls Washing Station

Region: Kapchorwa, Mt. Elgon, Uganda

Process: Natural, Anaerobic Natural, and Hydrowashed

Variety: Various SL varieties

Elevation: 1900 masl

ROAST | MEDIUM 

ORIGIN | TOLIMA, COLOMBIA

NOTES | PEACH JAM, RED SANGRIA, MILK CHOCOLATE

Marta and her two sons, Elias and Shady, seek to create and share technologies that will help improve the quality of life for the families working at El Vergel. Growing and processing exceptional and experimental coffees are part of that vision. This latest release from the El Vergel team is the Caturra varietal lot, grown closest to the mill where the majority of the processing happens. Shady conveyed a sense of ownership with the producers of this coffee and they were excited to hear how much we liked this lot.

The Anaerobic Natural Caturra from El Vergel fits our red label so perfectly. This coffee has huge fruit characteristics and intense sweetness. If you are a fan of our red label coffees, this one will be right up your alley. If you are trying anaerobic coffee for the first time, this should be a great introduction.

Farm:  "El Vergel" from the Nuestra Familia

Variety: Caturra

Process: Anaerobic Natural

Elevation: 1,350 masl

ROAST | LIGHT MEDIUM

ORIGIN | PALESTINA, HUILA, COLOMBIA

NOTES | FLORAL, RED CHERRY, DRIED CITRUS, PANELA SUGAR

Jose Martinez has been growing fantastic coffee in Huila, Colombia forever. You may remember the Pink Bourbon lots we had from him last year. In fact this is the producer whose coffee Kyle loved on three separate blind cuppings, while traveling with the Osito team in Garzon, Huila, Colombia. 

Jose Martinez is a special producer whose care and attention to detail is clear. His coffees are vibrant expressions of the intermarriage of excellent processing coming alongside complex varieties. Normally we would not be able to bring in this Caturra Variety from Jose, as an exclusive contract exists with Jose and the Roasting Company, Phil & Sebastian in Calgary, Canada but this small lot of Caturra was not purchased which allowed us the opportunity procure it.

This is a lovely coffee; floral with notes of dried apricot and citrus and an overall sweetness reminiscent of the local panela sugar of Colombia. 

Producer & Farm: Jose Martinez, "El Casino"

Variety: Caturra

Process: Washed

Altitude: 1800 masl