HYDRANGEA - La Noria Anaerobic Gesha | Ecuador - Anaerobic Washed - Gesha

About the Cup

A classic Gesha with jasmine aromatics, passionfruit-like acidity, and a peach-forward sweetness. The cup should read clear and structured, with the anaerobic washed process adding controlled fruit expression while preserving a clean finish.

About Finca La Noria

Finca La Noria is located in the Vilcabamba Valley of Loja, Ecuador, at approximately 2,000–2,270 meters above sea level. The farm is associated with ChocoVilcaMundo (CVM), a coffee, cacao, and honey project connected to Bernard Uhe and a Colombian coffee-growing family with roots in Ibagué. La Noria was acquired by Tim Leahy in 2017 and developed with Bernard Uhe and CVM, combining high-elevation Arabica production with local Ecuadorian knowledge of the land.

The site sits in a dry, high-altitude climate influenced by Pacific Ocean currents and mountain airflow from Podocarpus National Park. Temperatures range from about 13 °C at night to 23 °C during the day, with the dry season aligning with the June–September harvest window. La Noria’s farm management emphasizes agroforestry, on-farm fertility inputs, and natural pest and fungus management. The farm has also become highly visible in Ecuador’s competition coffee scene, including a 2023 Ecuador Cup of Excellence win with a washed Geisha.

About Gesha

Gesha is an Ethiopian landrace variety widely recognized in specialty coffee for its high quality potential at elevation and its tendency toward expressive aromatics. When well grown and carefully processed, Gesha is often associated with floral, tea-like, stone fruit, and tropical fruit characteristics. In this La Noria lot, the provided notes of jasmine, passionfruit, and peach align closely with the variety’s delicate aromatic profile and the farm’s high-elevation growing conditions.

About Processing

This lot is processed as an anaerobic washed coffee. Red, ripe cherries are harvested, washed, and sorted by removing floaters in a washing tank. The whole cherries then ferment in bags for 24 hours, with turning every 12 hours, before being depulped and fermented again for another 24 hours, also with turning every 12 hours. After fermentation, the depulped coffee is thoroughly washed in tanks.

This style of processing is designed to build fruit intensity and aromatic lift through controlled fermentation while still using a washed finish to maintain clarity. In the cup, that can support a profile with bright acidity, defined florals, and a cleaner finish than a heavier natural or extended fermentation style.