Colombia Jairo Arcila - Double Anaerobic Gesha

Gesha, also spelled Geisha, needs no introduction. According to various sources, it was first found in Ethiopia in 1930s, made its way to Panama in 1960s and to Colombia only in 2005. However, within this short period of time, Colombia Gesha has garnered a reputation as the most consumed and best loved Gesha.

This coffee was grown by Jairo Arcila at Finca Castellon at Circasia, located at an elevation of 1550 - 2000m, in volcanic soils. This coffee underwent anaerobic-aerobic-anaerobic fermentation of 24-48-24 hours, where both periods of anaerobic fermentation happened in grainpro bags. After this, the coffee was placed on raised beds in a "greenhouse" below 35ºC until ideal moisture content was achieved. The double anaerobic fermentation sandwiching an aerobic fermentation gives complexity to its flavour profile without turning it too funky for daily drinking. 

We observed that Colombian volcanic soils impart the familiar notes of stonefruits to the coffee. The arrangement of the anaerobic-aerobic fermentation could be responsible to give it an unusual spicy note - we noted nutmeg, star anise and coriander seeds. A fresher roast highlights these spices, while one week of resting time allows the spicy notes to be more harmonised within the overall profile. The same fermentation more commonly imparts winey notes, which we also observed. Chardonnay notes clear after the one week rest. 

Jairo Arcila is a third generation coffee grower in Quindío, Colombia. Married to Luz Helena Salazar, they had two children together: Carlos and Felipe Arcila, the co-founders of Cofinet. In addition to cultivating coffee, Jairo and Luz Helena also grow other fruits like mandarin oranges and avocadoes on the farm. For 40 years, Jairo Arcila has been growing Colombian traditional cultivars. Since the establishment of Cofinet, he has been expanding his crop selection to include specialty cultivars. His agricultural knowledge coupled with the innovation of his sons has won him and Cofinet a worldwide following.


Roast Level
Lightly roasted, we adopted very careful roasting for this coffee, restricting the roast momentum (technically called ROR) towards the end to preserve flavour transparency, the brightness and the sweetness. We worked hard to avoid a crash of flavour immediately upon swallowing the coffee, and that there will be a long lingering afterflavour in tandem with the flavour transparency. 


Brew Flavour
We have brewed this coffee with different apparatus and found that a cone-shaped brewer gives the best brightness and sweetness. The ensuing rounded mouthfeel then supports its complex flavour notes.

We are brewing this coffee using the Timemore Crystal Eye dripper with CAFEC TH-1 filter paper. The dry grounds give a hint of warm spices. When brewing, the coffee releases generous notes of stonefruits. When consuming the coffee, the first impression is the very smooth and soft mouthfeel of medium weight, reflecting its natural process.  The sweetness supports the fruity notes of lemon, mango, hibiscus and stonefruits, almost like a sweet mango juice, with a hint of brown spices in the background. With the undertone of winey aromas from the fermentation, all the other notes combined give an impression of chardonnay. At room temperature, it tastes like iced lemon tea and raisins, with a hint of honey and baked cashew nuts. We are brewing this coffee in 16g to 220ml of water at 86°C (updated on 2nd Mar 2024). We are grinding the coffee at 750µm* (updated on 5th Feb 2024). This is our recipe, with 1 bloom and 1 pour, aiming to allow a fast drain-through:

0th sec        40g of water
45th sec      Add 185ml of water
75th sec      Finish

For an enhanced flavour, add ice when the coffee slightly cools down.

Thank you for coming onboard Parchmen & Co and travel with us to savour our world in a cup!