Method
V60 Pourover
- Dose
- 18 g
- Water
- 288 g
- Time
- 2:45
93°C water, medium-fine grind. Bloom with 40g for 35 seconds. Three pours: 100g, 100g, 48g. Target drawdown by 2:45. Cup at 50°C to taste stone fruit.
Boquete, Panamá · Natural · 18 days raised bed
A microlot from the Hermanas sisters, raised between cloud and canopy. Cup it slowly — the cup changes character as it cools, opening into orchard fruit and honeyed florals.
In stock · Ships in 48h after roast
02 — The Story
Gesha is the varietal that rewrote auction prices and redefined what coffee can be. This microlot comes from Finca Las Hermanas in Boquete, a western Panamanian town where morning clouds settle into the valleys and linger until noon. The Hermanas sisters—whose family has farmed this land for three generations—cultivate Gesha at 1,750 meters, where temperature swings between day and night slow cherry maturation to a crawl. The result is a cherry so dense with sugars that natural processing becomes an amplifier rather than a flavor crutch.
The natural process here takes eighteen days on raised beds, turned by hand twice daily to prevent fermentation from tipping into funk. What you taste in the cup is structural: bergamot acidity that persists through the finish, jasmine volatiles that rise in the steam, white peach sweetness without heaviness, and a honeyed mouthfeel that coats without cloying. The body is tea-like—closer to a silver needle white tea than to what most people expect from coffee. We roast this to a City roast, stopping development just as first crack completes, preserving the varietal's inherent clarity.
This is a coffee that rewards patience. Brew it at 93°C rather than boiling, and give it time in the cup. The first sip at 65°C will show florals and bright citrus. By 50°C, stone fruit emerges. At room temperature—which we recommend you experience at least once—the honey notes dominate and the texture becomes almost glyceric. It is not a morning coffee in the espresso-and-croissant sense. It is a coffee you sit with, ideally in a white ceramic cup that lets you observe the clarity of the brew.
Who this is for: the person who already knows they like washed Ethiopians and wants to understand what Gesha does differently. The home barista who owns a scale and a thermometer and uses both. The buyer who balances four coffees in their rotation and reserves one spot for something that costs more per cup than a glass of decent wine. Gesha is expensive because supply is limited and demand is structural—this is not marketing theater. Finca Las Hermanas produced eleven bags this year. We bought two. When it is gone, it is gone until next harvest.
Brew this as a pourover or immersion method. Espresso is possible—we have pulled it at 1:3 ratios with twenty-eight-second extractions—but you will lose some of the floral highs that justify the cost. If you are new to Gesha, start with a V60 at 1:16 and adjust from there. Cup it next to a washed Ethiopian heirloom to understand what five dollars more per hundred grams buys you. The difference is not subtle.
03 — Brewing
Method
93°C water, medium-fine grind. Bloom with 40g for 35 seconds. Three pours: 100g, 100g, 48g. Target drawdown by 2:45. Cup at 50°C to taste stone fruit.
Method
93°C water, medium grind. Steep for 2:30, then release. Full immersion amplifies honey notes and body while preserving florals. Ideal for mornings when precision feels like too much work.
Method
Light roast Gesha pulls fast. 18g in, 54g out in 28 seconds at 92°C. Lower pressure if possible—6 barsmax. You will lose floral complexity but gain honeyed sweetness. Only attempt if you already dial light roasts regularly.
04 — FAQ
Gesha is a low-yielding varietal that thrives only at high altitudes in specific microclimates. Finca Las Hermanas produced eleven bags this harvest. We bought two. Price reflects scarcity, labor-intensive processing, and a cup profile that is botanically distinct from typical arabica—most tasters identify it blind within three sips.
Same varietal, different spelling. Gesha is the original Ethiopian town where the varietal was discovered in the 1930s. Geisha is the Japanese-influenced spelling adopted in Panama. We use Gesha to honor the African origin, though both are correct and refer to the same botanical material.
Brew at 93°C, not boiling. Use a 1:16 ratio with medium-fine grind—slightly coarser than you would for a washed Ethiopian. Pourover works best. The florals are volatile and temperature-sensitive: too hot and you will extract bitterness that masks them. Let the cup cool to 50°C before deciding if you taste what we taste.
Filter. Espresso is technically possible at 1:3 ratios with light pressure, but you will compress the floral complexity into a sweeter, denser shot that loses the tea-like body. If you paid for Gesha, brew it in a way that lets you experience the full aromatic range. Save espresso for coffees with more body and less volatility.
Peak florals last two weeks after opening if you store it in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. The coffee remains good for four weeks, but the jasmine and bergamot notes fade first—those are the volatile compounds that justify the cost. Buy in quantities you will finish within a month, or split a bag with another buyer.