United States — FRINJ Coffee Finca 1890 Gesha (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍓 Strawberry • 🍋 Citrus • 🌺 Hibiscus

DETAILS

• Producer: FRINJ Coffee
• Farm: Finca 1890
• Region: Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, California, United States
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 60 MASL (yes, SIXTY)
• Size: 60g

INTRO

Finca 1890 sits in the hills above Carpinteria, a coastal town just south of Santa Barbara, where a unique microclimate and fertile soil make it possible to grow tropical fruits rarely seen in California — papayas, bananas, and coffee cherries among them. Although the farm is just 60 metres above sea level, its latitude — approximately 10 degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer and outside the traditional coffee-growing belt — creates conditions similar to those of high-altitude equatorial farms. Nearly 3,000 coffee trees grow here, interplanted with Ice Cream Bean trees that naturally enrich the soil.

This traditional Washed Gesha from Finca 1890 offers a clean, refined window into what California terroir can achieve — bright, floral, and precisely structured.

THE PRODUCER

FRINJ Coffee is a pioneering seed-to-cup company producing terroir-driven coffees from California. Founded in 2017 by Jay Ruskey, Andy Mullins, Juan Medrano, and Lindsey Mesta, FRINJ works with a network of farms stretching from San Luis Obispo to San Diego. The project traces its roots to 2002, when Ruskey partnered with UC Davis Farm Advisor Dr. Mark Gaskell to plant California's first commercial coffee trees at Condor Ridge Ranch. In January 2026, FRINJ became the first California coffee to compete at the prestigious Dubai Coffee Auction. California farmers in the FRINJ network receive over half the sales value — compared to just 2–5% globally — and FRINJ continues to refine resilient growing systems using precision irrigation, protective tunnels, and field-level sensor technology in collaboration with UC Davis.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Finca 1890 involves:

• 🍒 Selective Hand-Picking — Cherries harvested at peak ripeness only
• ✅ Flotation — Cherries floated to remove defects before processing
• 💧 Washing — Pulped and thoroughly washed to remove all fruit material
• ☀️ Sun Drying — Dried on raised beds to a stable moisture level
• 🔧 Milling & Sorting — Parchment milled, classified, and meticulously hand-sorted to SCA green grading standards

The traditional washed process preserves the Gesha variety's intrinsic floral and citrus character with exceptional clarity, letting the unique California terroir of Finca 1890 speak cleanly in the cup.

THE CUP

A bright, clean expression of California-grown Gesha — the washed process highlights the variety's classic elegance, with vivid berry sweetness, fresh citrus acidity, and a delicate floral finish that lingers long after the last sip.

Flavour Notes

• 🍓 Strawberry
• 🍋 Citrus
• 🌺 Hibiscus