#033 Gesha

Damn, where to start? Maybe with Felipe Contreras — what a legend. We first met him at the World of Coffee in Copenhagen, without realizing who he was. The name Finca Gascon sounded familiar, though. After chatting about what we do, he handed us a sample. We didn’t expect much — until we roasted and cupped it. What a coffee.

A quick Google search later, we discovered that he runs Finca Gascon. Damn — we instantly knew this was going to be expensive.

Today, we’re even more impressed knowing why his coffees are so exceptional. The way Felipe runs Finca Gascon makes it a truly innovative and future-forward farm. From start to finish, he follows a biodynamic agroforestry approach, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that thrives in balance.

Fun fact: when you meet “famous” people in coffee (well, famous within coffee), you’re sometimes surprised by how down-to-earth they are. Felipe definitely doesn’t take himself too seriously. When we texted him saying we wanted this coffee, his first reply was:

“Mate, you’ve got expensive taste haha!”

Alright, let’s talk about the coffee itself.

Being a Gesha natural, it’s incredibly smooth — sometimes velvety, sometimes rich and winey, depending on your brew ratio. The texture is just insane, no matter how you brew it. It transforms beautifully across temperatures and brew methods. As long as you don’t over-extract it (careful — this coffee is highly soluble), you’ll find everything from easy-drinking, floral, and silky-soft cups to super rich, layered, and vibrant ones.

Up to this point, the coffee is easy to describe. But when it comes to acidity, things get more complex. It’s primarily tartaric, with hints of phosphoric and malic acidity. Some might expect it to be lactic because of the fermentation process. Every anaerobic fermentation though naturally involves lactic bacteria activity. In this case, Felipe enhanced it using a culture extracted from the same coffee cherries, intensifying the fermentation while keeping the terroir pure. In short, it’s an inoculated coffee, but entirely self-referential — a brilliant concept.

(By the way: if you’re into coffee processing, check out Christopher Ferran’s blog — his content is gold.)

Flavor-wise, this coffee truly shines. Expect lots of red fruit — cherry, rose, watermelon — especially when hot or warm, plus tropical notes like papaya. The finish has a subtle, smooth cognac-like warmth — pleasantly refined rather than astringent, as can happen with heavily processed coffees.

This coffee reveals its distinctive character beautifully across different brew ratios. Thanks to its intense processing, it is highly soluble and responds best to minimal agitation. A slightly coarser grind and a lower brewing temperature of around 88 to 92 °C allow its complex structure to shine.
At a wider ratio such as 1:17, the Gesha expresses its elegant and floral side with a delicate aroma and light body. When brewed tighter, for example at 1:14, it becomes richer and more tropical, full-bodied, sweet, and vibrant with lush fruit tones. Exploring between these ratios helps you find the perfect balance between finesse and intensity.

• We love the imports with Semilla Coffee Inc. - Thanks Wilts!
• Farmgate price: 55 USD/kg to Felipe Contreas
• We paid including taxes, import and shipping 71,60 €/ kg.