COLOMBIA | ZARZA | GEISHA | NATURAL

High in the mountains of Bruselas, Huila, a remarkable family coffee project has grown from humble beginnings into a producer recognised on the international speciality coffee stage.

Finca Zarza began with Jhonatan Gasca's grandparents, who established their livelihood on the land with very limited resources.

Today, Jhonatan continues their work, combining generations of agricultural knowledge with a willingness to experiment.

At 1,750–1,800 metres above sea level, fertile volcanic soils, varied microclimates and natural shade from native trees provide the conditions for growing exceptional coffee.

The farm produces an impressive range of varieties, including Geisha, Pacamara, Sidra, Ají and Pink Bourbon.

In 2025, Zarza's reputation reached the world stage when Australian barista Jack Simpson used the farm's Papayo coffee in the milk course of his winning World Barista Championship performance in Milan.

This particular Geisha demonstrates the family's experimental approach.

After careful selection, the cherries undergo anaerobic fermentation, controlled oxidation and the recirculation of fruit-rich fermentation liquid.

A controlled thermal shock follows before the cherries are slowly dried in traditional Colombian parabolic dryers.

The resulting coffee is beautifully expressive, combining sweet orange marmalade, fragrant lemongrass and a delicate pink peppercorn character.

An extraordinary example of what happens when an exceptional variety meets careful cultivation and adventurous processing.

Natural | Anaerobic Fermentation | Controlled Oxidation | Thermal Shock

1. Cherry selection

Fully ripe Geisha cherries are carefully selected to ensure optimal sweetness and quality.

2. Anaerobic fermentation: 24 hours

The cherries undergo 24 hours of anaerobic fermentation, encouraging the development of floral aromatics and juicy fruit characteristics.

3. Floating and controlled oxidation: 12 hours

The cherries are floated to remove defective or low-density fruit, then placed in bags for 12 hours of controlled oxidation.

This stage encourages further aromatic complexity and fruit expression.

4. Fermentation-must recirculation

The naturally produced fermentation liquid, known as must, is collected and recirculated through the coffee cherries.

This keeps the fruit in contact with the fermentation liquid, promoting more uniform fermentation and greater aromatic intensity.

5. Thermal shock

The coffee undergoes a controlled rapid temperature change to regulate fermentation and stabilise the characteristics developed during the earlier stages.

6. Natural drying: 10–12 days

Finally, the coffee is slowly sun-dried in parabolic dryers known locally as marquesinas.

These sheltered structures allow more controlled drying while helping preserve the coffee's aromatic complexity.

Finca Zarza is a third-generation family coffee project in Bruselas, Huila, Colombia.

The farm benefits from fertile volcanic soils, diverse microclimates and natural shade provided by surrounding native trees. This shade helps slow cherry maturation while contributing to the farm's biodiversity.

Jhonatan Gasca and his family combine traditional agricultural knowledge with careful farm management and experimental processing techniques.

The family also incorporates beekeeping into its agricultural activities, supporting its biodiversity-focused approach.

This coffee is sourced through Cata Export, a Colombian coffee exporter established in 2019 by Cat and Pierre. Their work focuses on traceable sourcing, regenerative agricultural practices and long-term relationships between producers and roasters.