Ecuador — Tim Leahy & Bernard Uhe Finca La Noria Gesha (Anaerobic Washed)

Tastes Like — 🌸 Jasmine • 🍍 Passionfruit • 🍑 Peach

DETAILS

• Producer: Tim Leahy & Bernard Uhe (ChocoVilcaMundo)

• Farm: Finca La Noria

• Region: Vilcabamba Valley, Loja, Ecuador

• Varietal: Gesha

• Process: Anaerobic Washed (Double Fermentation)

• Altitude: 2,100 MASL (Farm range: 2,000–2,270 MASL)

INTRO

From Tim Leahy and Bernard Uhe at Finca La Noria in the Vilcabamba Valley — a high-altitude Ecuadorian Gesha of classic character and controlled aromatic precision, processed through a two-stage anaerobic fermentation designed to build fruit intensity and floral lift while preserving clean structure and clarity. In the cup: jasmine, passionfruit, and peach.

THE PRODUCER

Finca La Noria sits at 2,000–2,270 MASL in the Vilcabamba Valley of Loja — one of Ecuador's most distinctive growing environments, shaped by Pacific Ocean currents and mountain airflow from the nearby Podocarpus National Park. Cool nights of around 13°C, warm days up to 23°C, and a dry season that aligns with the June–September harvest window create ideal conditions for slow, even cherry development and exceptional aromatic concentration.

The farm was acquired by Tim Leahy in 2017 and developed in collaboration with Bernard Uhe and the ChocoVilcaMundo (CVM) project — a coffee, cacao, and honey venture with roots in a Colombian coffee-growing family from Ibagué. Farm management at La Noria centres on agroforestry, on-farm fertility inputs, and natural pest and fungus management — a holistic approach that respects the surrounding ecosystem and the exceptional terroir the Vilcabamba Valley provides. The farm has already made its mark on the competition stage, winning the 2023 Ecuador Cup of Excellence with a washed Geisha.

THE PROCESS

The Anaerobic Washed Double Fermentation process at Finca La Noria involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Red, ripe cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 💧 Washing & flotation — Cherries washed and sorted, with floaters removed in a washing tank 🔒 24-hour whole cherry anaerobic fermentation — Whole cherries fermented in sealed bags for 24 hours with turning every 12 hours 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed after the initial fermentation 🔒 24-hour post-depulp anaerobic fermentation — Depulped beans sealed again for a further 24 hours with turning every 12 hours 💧 Thorough tank washing — Thoroughly washed in tanks after fermentation to remove all residue ☀️ Drying — Dried to optimal moisture content

The two-stage anaerobic fermentation — 24 hours in the whole cherry, then 24 hours after depulping — is the defining step. The first phase builds fruit intensity and aromatic lift from within the intact cherry; the second, fermenting after depulping, adds a further layer of controlled complexity. Together they produce the jasmine florality, passionfruit acidity, and peach sweetness that define this lot, while the thorough tank washing after both phases preserves the clean, structured finish that sets it apart from heavier natural or extended fermentation styles.

THE CUP

A classic and beautifully structured anaerobic washed Gesha from one of Ecuador's most promising and already award-winning high-altitude farms — jasmine florality, passionfruit-like acidity, and a peach-forward sweetness in a clean, well-defined cup that reflects both the extraordinary Vilcabamba Valley terroir and the precision of the two-stage processing behind it.

Flavour Notes

🌸 Jasmine 🍍 Passionfruit 🍑 Peach