Bellini | Colombia

Colombia — Jhoan Vergara Geisha

Tastes Like — 🍑 White Peach • 🍋 Lemon • 🍯 Honeycomb

DETAILS

• Producer: Jhoan Vergara
• Region: Acevedo, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Geisha (Gesha)
• Process: Semi-washed
• Altitude: 2000 masl
• Size: 125g

INTRO — The Bellini: Geisha Named After the Classic Cocktail

The Bellini cocktail—white peach purée and Prosecco—is a Venetian classic known for its delicate fruit character and elegant effervescence. This Geisha from Jhoan Vergara in Acevedo, Huila, shares those same qualities: white peach sweetness, bright lemon acidity, and honeycomb richness that makes the name particularly apt. It's Gesha expressing its most delicate, cocktail-worthy qualities.

Semi-washed processing (also known as pulped natural or honey processing) adds dimension to this Gesha by retaining some mucilage during drying. This contributes body and honeycomb sweetness whilst maintaining the clarity and brightness that makes Gesha so celebrated. The result is white peach elegance with lemon brightness and honeycomb richness—a genuinely Bellini-esque experience in coffee form.

THE PRODUCER — Jhoan Vergara & Acevedo, Huila

Jhoan Vergara cultivates Geisha at 2,000 metres above sea level in Acevedo, a municipality in southern Huila that's become synonymous with exceptional Colombian coffee. This altitude provides the temperature variation and slow cherry maturation essential for developing complexity in varieties like Geisha. The cool nights at 2,000 metres slow cherry ripening, allowing sugars to concentrate and acids to develop the brightness that defines great high-altitude coffee.

Acevedo's combination of volcanic soil, ideal rainfall patterns, and experienced farming families creates conditions where Geisha can truly excel. Many Acevedo producers have shifted towards cultivating exotic varieties like Geisha alongside traditional varieties, recognizing the premium that exceptional quality commands in today's specialty market. Jhoan's dedication to Geisha production demonstrates both confidence in his ability to cultivate this challenging variety and access to the premium markets that reward it.

Growing Geisha successfully requires expertise beyond what traditional varieties demand. The variety is notoriously low-yielding and susceptible to disease, meaning farmers must invest more time and resources for smaller harvests. However, when cultivated well at high altitude and processed carefully, Geisha produces coffee that's genuinely unique—making the investment worthwhile for producers like Jhoan who can execute at this level.

THE PROCESS — Semi-Washed for Added Body and Sweetness

Semi-washed processing (sometimes called pulped natural or honey processing depending on regional terminology) occupies the middle ground between fully washed and natural methods. After depulping, varying amounts of mucilage are left on the parchment during drying, adding sweetness and body whilst maintaining more clarity than full natural processing:

• 🍒 Selective Harvesting — Only fully ripe Geisha cherries picked at 2,000 metres elevation
• ⚙️ Mechanical Depulping — Skin and some fruit removed, mucilage retained
• 🍯 Mucilage Retention — Sticky, sugar-rich layer left on parchment
• ☀️ Controlled Drying — Extended drying with regular turning to prevent over-fermentation
• 🔄 Careful Monitoring — Close attention throughout to ensure even moisture removal

The amount of retained mucilage determines how much the process influences the final cup. This Bellini lot strikes the balance perfectly—enough mucilage retention to add white peach sweetness and honeycomb richness, but not so much that it overwhelms Geisha's delicate characteristics or the bright lemon acidity that keeps the cup lively.

The extended drying period is crucial with semi-washed coffees. The sugars in the retained mucilage make the parchment sticky and prone to uneven drying or over-fermentation if not monitored carefully. Regular turning ensures even air circulation, whilst close monitoring prevents the development of off-flavours. At 2,000 metres, the cooler temperatures help maintain control throughout the drying process.

THE CUP — Delicate Peach with Honeycomb Richness

This truly tastes like its namesake cocktail—delicate white peach character, bright lemon acidity, and honeycomb richness that adds depth without heaviness. The semi-washed processing has enhanced Geisha's natural peach and honey characteristics whilst maintaining the bright, clean profile that makes the variety so celebrated.

Flavour Notes

• 🍑 White Peach — delicate stone fruit sweetness with the subtle, refined character of white peach
• 🍋 Lemon — bright citrus acidity providing lift and freshness
• 🍯 Honeycomb — rich, complex sweetness with the waxy, floral character of fresh honeycomb

The white peach dominates the flavour profile—it's the primary note, sweet and delicate like the fruit purée in a proper Bellini. Lemon brightness weaves throughout, providing the citrus lift that keeps the cup lively and structured. Honeycomb sweetness emerges particularly in the finish—not just honey sweetness, but the more complex, waxy, almost floral character of fresh honeycomb with its layers of flavour.

The body is medium—more substantial than a fully washed Gesha thanks to the mucilage retention, but still elegant and refined. The acidity is bright and lemony, structured like the effervescence in a good Bellini cocktail. The finish is clean and long, with those honeycomb notes extending beautifully alongside lingering white peach sweetness.

This is Gesha showcasing what semi-washed processing can achieve: the variety's inherent elegance enhanced rather than obscured, with added sweetness and body that makes it accessible whilst maintaining sophistication. Like its namesake cocktail, it's deceptively simple—few ingredients, carefully balanced, creating something genuinely special.