Colombia — Jhonatan Gasca Zarza Coffee Bella Vista Wush Wush (Advanced Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍋 Lime • 🍑 Dried Prune • 🌸 Jasmine

DETAILS

• Producer: Jhonatan Gasca (Zarza Coffee)
• Farm: Bella Vista
• Region: Bruselas, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Wush Wush
• Process: Advanced Washed (Multi-Stage Controlled Fermentation)
• Altitude: 1,750–1,800 MASL
• Size: 250g

INTRO

From Jhonatan Gasca at Bella Vista — a Wush Wush processed through one of the most meticulously layered advanced washed protocols in Colombian specialty coffee. Multiple controlled fermentation stages, clean mountain water washing, and a slow, patient drying protocol produce a cup of vivid citrus, dark fruit, and floral complexity. In the cup: lime, dried prune, and jasmine.

THE PRODUCER

Zarza Coffee is a third-generation family enterprise from Bruselas — the Coffee Capital of Huila — guided by heritage and a deep passion for quality. The name "Zarza," linked to the Gasca family surname, symbolises unity and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Since its founding in 2022, Zarza Coffee has refined every stage of production — from selective cherry picking through fermentation and oxidation management — building an international reputation for innovation, traceability, and sustainability.

The family integrates beekeeping as part of their agricultural ecosystem at Bella Vista, strengthening biodiversity and adding value to the land. Jhonatan Gasca's work has already earned global recognition — most notably through the 2024 World Barista Championship, where Jack Simpson used a Zarza Bella Vista lot in his second-place routine. This Wush Wush is another chapter in that story: a rare Ethiopian Landrace variety, cultivated in the cool highland conditions of Bruselas at 1,750–1,800 MASL, and transformed by advanced processing into something genuinely extraordinary.

Wush Wush is a rare Ethiopian Landrace variety first documented in the Wush Wush area of southwest Ethiopia, now cultivated in small quantities in Colombia. Celebrated for its vivid floral character, tropical fruit expression, and extraordinary aromatic intensity, it is particularly responsive to experimental fermentation — qualities Zarza Coffee's advanced washed protocol exploits to remarkable effect.

THE PROCESS

The Advanced Washed process at Bella Vista involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Fully ripe Wush Wush cherries selectively harvested 🌬️ 12–24 hour in-cherry oxidation — Initial aerobic oxidation phase to begin developing aromatic complexity 🔒 48–72 hour anaerobic fermentation — Whole cherries sealed in tanks for controlled anaerobic fermentation to develop fruit-forward aromatics 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed after the anaerobic phase 🧪 24–36 hour parchment fermentation — Depulped beans fermented for a further controlled period to enhance sweetness and complexity 💧 Mountain water washing — Thoroughly washed with clean mountain water to remove all residue ☀️ 15–25 day raised-bed drying — Dried slowly on raised beds ⏳ Post-drying rest — Coffee rested after drying to ensure flavour stability and balance

The multi-stage fermentation — in-cherry oxidation, sealed anaerobic, and post-depulp parchment fermentation — is the defining step. By working across three distinct fermentation phases, Zarza Coffee builds the lime citrus brightness, dried prune depth, and jasmine florality that define this Wush Wush, while the mountain water washing and extended drying rest ensure a clean, balanced, and stable finish.

THE CUP

A vivid, layered, and beautifully balanced advanced washed Wush Wush from one of Huila's most innovative and internationally celebrated family operations — lime brightness, dried prune depth, and jasmine florality in a cup of exceptional complexity and precision. Zarza Coffee's Bella Vista at its most expressive.

Flavour Notes

🍋 Lime 🍑 Dried Prune 🌸 Jasmine