Colombia — Jhonatan Gasca Zarza Bella Vista Gesha (Advanced Natural)

Tastes Like — 🍇 Concord Grape • 🥂 Champagne • 🍍 Dole Whip

DETAILS

• Producer: Jhonatan Gasca
• Farm: Zarza Bella Vista
• Region: Bruselas, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Advanced Natural
• Altitude: 1,800 MASL

INTRO

From Jhonatan Gasca at Zarza Bella Vista in Bruselas, Huila — an advanced natural Gesha from one of Colombia's most technically ambitious and internationally recognised producer partnerships. Effervescent, fruit-forward, and deeply elegant. In the cup: Concord grape, champagne, and Dole Whip — a profile as playful as it is sophisticated.

THE PRODUCER

Jhonatan and Johan Gasca are third-generation coffee producers from Pitalito in Huila, who grew up in a family historically focused on volume over quality as a more reliable means of income. After a stint in Cali pursuing other ambitions, the brothers returned home and committed themselves to a fundamentally different approach — one defined by biodiversity, respect for the land, and an uncompromising pursuit of quality through innovation. At Zarza Bella Vista in Bruselas, they blend generational farming knowledge with modern processing technique, and the results have drawn the attention of roasters and competition baristas worldwide.

The farm has become particularly celebrated for its experimental processing programme — its thermal shock Pacamara lot was used by Jack Simpson in his 2024 World Barista Championship routine, earning him second place on the world stage. This advanced natural Gesha represents the same spirit of precision and curiosity applied to one of the world's most revered coffee varieties.

Gesha, first collected from the coffee forests of Ethiopia in the 1930s and brought to global prominence at the 2005 Best of Panama competition, finds exceptional conditions at 1,800 MASL in Bruselas — where the cool Huila microclimate and the Gascas' meticulous processing unlock the variety's hallmark florality and delicate complexity to their fullest.

THE PROCESS

The Advanced Natural process at Zarza Bella Vista involves a carefully managed multi-stage fermentation and drying programme designed to amplify the Gesha's inherent aromatic complexity while retaining the clean, structured finish that defines the farm's processing philosophy:

🍒 Hand-picking — Gesha cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔍 Sorting — Only the finest ripe cherries selected before fermentation 🔒 Controlled fermentation — Multi-stage fermentation managed with precision, monitoring pH, temperature, and fermentation activity throughout ☀️ Natural drying — Whole cherries dried with fruit intact after fermentation, allowing sugars to integrate fully into the bean

The advanced, precisely controlled fermentation is the defining step — by managing each phase with scientific rigour rather than relying on ambient conditions, Jhonatan directs the development of the Gesha's aromatic complexity toward the vivid, expressive profile that defines this lot, while the whole-fruit natural drying builds the depth and sweetness that elevate it.

THE CUP

A vivid and effervescent advanced natural Gesha from one of Huila's most celebrated and innovative farms — Concord grape depth, sparkling champagne brightness, and a tropical Dole Whip sweetness that is both unexpected and entirely compelling. Zarza Bella Vista at its most expressive.

Flavour Notes

🍇 Concord Grape 🥂 Champagne 🍍 Dole Whip