Colombia — Jhonatan Gasca Zarza Bella Vista Aji Bourbon (Thermal Shock Washed)

Tastes Like — 🥭 Mango Lassi & Guava • 🍬 Fruit Roll Up • 🌺 Hibiscus

DETAILS

• Producer: Jhonatan Gasca
• Farm: Zarza, Bella Vista
• Region: Bruselas, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Aji Bourbon
• Process: Thermal Shock Washed
• Altitude: 1,800 MASL
• Size: 227g / 8oz

INTRO

Jhonatan Gasca and his brother Johan manage the Zarza Coffee group from their farm Bella Vista in Bruselas, Huila — one of Colombia's most celebrated coffee-producing regions. This lot showcases the rare Aji Bourbon variety, processed using Zarza's signature thermal shock washed technique that has become a hallmark of their work.

Aji Bourbon is a designer variety thought to be a mutation of Bourbon, grown almost exclusively in Colombia. The thermal shock washed process yields a cup that is vibrant, tropical, and expressive — layered with mango lassi sweetness, nostalgic fruit roll up character, and a vivid hibiscus florality.

THE PRODUCER

Jhonatan Gasca grew up in a coffee farming family in Pitalito, Huila, with an early career aspiration of becoming a professional footballer. After returning home from Cali, he began experimenting with fermentation on a plot gifted by his father. Early trials failed and buyers initially turned him away — but encouraged by friends at El Diviso and Las Flores, he persisted. By 2018 he was thriving, and today Jhonatan is one of Colombia's most respected voices in innovative processing.

The Zarza farm (named after the family surname Gasca, meaning "bramble") grows a diverse range of varieties including Pink Bourbon, Sidra Bourbon, Aji Bourbon, Pacamara, Gesha, Wush Wush, Caturra, Catuai, Castillo, and Colombia at 1,800 MASL. The Gasca brothers have brought Zarza Coffee to international recognition, with Jhonatan's lots appearing on the World Barista Championship stage.

THE PROCESS

The Thermal Shock Washed process at Zarza Bella Vista involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvest — Ripe cherries hand-picked and sorted at the farm
• 📅 Initial Oxidation — Cherries undergo an oxidation period to develop aromatic complexity
• 🧪 Anaerobic Fermentation (Round 1) — Sealed-tank fermentation with a custom yeast or mosto culture
• 🔧 Depulping — Cherries pulped after initial fermentation
• 🧪 Anaerobic Fermentation (Round 2) — A second anaerobic fermentation period further deepens the flavour profile
• ❄️ Thermal Shock — Coffee is quenched with a combination of hot (50°C) and cold (20°C) water to halt fermentation and lock in the volatile aromatic compounds
• ☀️ Drying — Careful sun and mechanical drying to a stable moisture level

The thermal shock step is what defines this lot's character — it arrests fermentation at precisely the right moment, preserving vivid tropical aromatics and creating the signature mango-forward sweetness that Zarza is known for.

THE CUP

Tropical, sweet, and playfully expressive. Mango lassi and fruit roll up sweetness dominate, underpinned by a vivid hibiscus florality. The thermal shock technique adds a creamy, milky texture that lifts the whole profile — bright, juicy, and irresistibly drinkable.

Flavour Notes

• 🥭 Mango Lassi & Guava
• 🍬 Fruit Roll Up
• 🌺 Hibiscus