Colombia 1959 Geisha – Double Washed, Pijao

Jasmine, lilac and peach – a delicate, tea-like Geisha from Café 1959 in Quindío, for slow mornings and careful pours.

In the cup

This is a coffee you smell before you taste. Jasmine and lilac rise from the cup straight away. The body is light and tea-like, and ripe peach brings a soft, juicy sweetness. The finish is long, floral and very clean. Brew it as filter to get the most of the aromatics; as espresso it's a delicate, perfumed shot.

Where it comes from

Geisha (also spelled Gesha) originally comes from Ethiopia and became famous in Panama for its intense floral cup. José Giraldo brought Geisha seeds from Panama to Café 1959, his project in Pijao, Quindío. The farm sits high in the Colombian Andes, on land José revived in 2017 after it had been abandoned for more than 20 years. Each variety grows in its own plot, so lots stay separate from tree to cup. José is a third-generation producer trained in food engineering, and it shows in how carefully he controls fermentation at his processing lab, La Clarita.

How it's processed

1. Only fully ripe cherries are picked at around 2000 m.
2. The cherries are depulped and the seeds go through a first fermentation, then a wash.
3. A second fermentation and a second wash follow – hence "double washed".
4. The coffee is then dried slowly.

The two rounds lift the florals and keep the cup exceptionally clean.

How we brew it

• Filter (V60, Origami or Kalita): 15 g coffee, 250 g water at 92–94 °C, about 2:45–3:00. Use soft, filtered water – Geisha shows every flaw in the water.
• Espresso: 18 g in, 42–45 g out in 26–30 seconds; a longer ratio keeps the florals open.

Why it's on our shelf

Geisha is a treat, and we brew it that way: one careful V60 on a Sunday. It sits next to the Pink Bourbon from the same producer, so you can taste two varieties from one hillside side by side. Only a few 200 g bags are available.