Washed Gesha Coffees from Europe

Gesha (also spelled Geisha) is a varietal originally from Ethiopia that came to global attention in 2004 when a Panamanian estate, Hacienda La Esmeralda, won the Best of Panama auction with it and immediately set a new world price record. It has since spread to Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, and back to its native Ethiopia, but the washed-process expression remains the reference point — clean, perfumed, floral, with bergamot and jasmine on the front and a tea-like finish.

This collection narrows the bean catalogue to coffees that are both (a) Gesha varietal and (b) washed process. That double filter excludes natural-process Geshas (a separate, juicier cup character) and washed but non-Gesha beans, leaving the cluster that defines the floral end of specialty coffee.

Brewing: V60 or Chemex, paper filter, water just off boil, 1:16 to 1:17 ratio, fine-medium grind. These bags reward attention — they are usually the most expensive in any roaster's lineup, and the difference between a careful pour and a sloppy one is substantial.