Day 12 | Colombia Rio Bamisa Gesha

This delicious washed Colombian Gesha is from Qima Coffee’s 90+ Competition Series. Colombia’s diverse climate, mountainous geography, varying microclimates, and high-altitude regions create an environment perfectly suited for cultivating high-quality coffee. Abundant mineral-dense volcanic soil contributes to the development of strong roots and vigorous plant growth.

At the heart of this remarkable landscape is Rio Bamisa, a coffee farm named after the nearby Bamisa River. The river runs adjacent to a small collection of farms on the rural lands outside of Acevedo, a town in the south-west department of Huila, Colombia. Known for cultivating exceptional Geisha coffees and more, the Rio Bamisa farming community is celebrated for its expertise in coffee processing.

Qima is a revolutionary company, founded with the vision of using coffee as a vehicle to sustainably improve lives and livelihoods. With their roots in Yemen, they have expanded into Colombia and Ecuador. The company has a farmer-first approach, focusing on building long lasting healthy collaborations and partnerships. Renowned Colombian exotic coffee grower and the founder of Cafe 1959, Jose Julian Giraldo is also the General Manager of Qima Coffee for Latin America. Guided by passion and curiosity, his team has enabled Qima to work with 12+ coffee varieties, cupping over 1,100 coffees. The team has methodically traversed difficult-to-access spaces across 12 coffee-growing regions in Colombia.

Originally from Ethiopia, Gesha (or Geisha) is globally recognized and celebrated for its distinct floral fragrance and aroma, tea-like characteristics, and delicate fruit flavors. The gesha varietal has dominated the specialty coffee competition scene over the past few years, skyrocketing its popularity and availability across the globe.

This coffee was carefully harvested when perfectly ripe. The cherries were floated, sorted for density and quality, de-pulped, fully washed with clean water, then spread out to dry on raised beds. 

True to a top quality Gesha, the cup is delicate and fruity with notes of peach, blueberry, sweet tea with lemon, and blood orange balanced with a lovely hot chocolate sweetness.