Colombia Leonardo Henao Gesha

In the hills of Santa Barbara, Antioquia, a Cup of Excellence champion started over. Leonardo Henao, Director of Coffee at Pergamino, planted Finca El Jardin at 1,750 meters and devoted part of it to one of coffee's most coveted varieties. This washed Gesha is the result.

OriginColombia RegionSanta Barbara, Antioquia Elevation1,750 meters ProcessWashed VarietyGesha The Source

A Champion Rebuilds in Antioquia

Leonardo Henao's name carries weight in Colombian specialty coffee. He won the 2020 Cup of Excellence with a Chiroso lot named Los Tres Mosqueteros, grown alongside his brother Felipe and friend Jorge Cuellar at their farm in Urrao. He also serves as Director of Coffee at Pergamino, one of the country's most respected exporters, which gave him a rare view of the trade from both the farm and the cupping table.

When security challenges forced the sale of that original farm, Henao relocated to Santa Barbara and founded Finca El Jardin. The estate sits at 1,750 meters in a corner of Antioquia known for cool nights and steady ripening, conditions that suit delicate varieties. As high-altitude coffee matures slowly, sugars concentrate and acidity sharpens, exactly what a Gesha needs to express itself. Colombia ranks third among the world's coffee exporters, and microlots like this one show how far its top producers reach.

The Craft

Washed for Clarity, Roasted for the Floral

Gesha is famously difficult to grow, with low yields and a need for high elevation, which is part of why it commands attention. Henao chose the washed route here, removing the fruit before fermentation and drying so that nothing masks the variety's prized transparency. The washed process strips away the cherry's sugars and leaves a clean, focused cup, letting the jasmine and bergamot lead rather than fruit-forward ferment.

We roast this lot to City+ in small batches, holding it back from any color that would flatten the aromatics. The aim is to protect the florals and tea-like character that make a washed Gesha worth the patience, then let them open in the cup.

Jasmine Bergamot Black Tea Tropical Fruit BodyDelicate AcidityBright The Cup

Florals in Full Bloom

The first sip leads with heady jasmine and vibrant bergamot, then settles into a tropical finish that lingers like a long-steeped Darjeeling. The body is silky and light, the clarity unmistakable, a clean washed profile that rewards a cup taken black.

Let it cool a few minutes before drinking. As the temperature drops the florals grow louder and the tea-like notes sharpen, turning a single brew into something that keeps shifting from the first sip to the last.

Find Your Fix

This Gesha shines as a pourover. Try a V60 or Chemex at a 1:16 ratio with 203F water, ground slightly finer than usual, and bloom generously to capture the aromatics. Aim for a three to three-and-a-half minute brew. Aeropress and Beehouse work well too, no milk or sugar needed. Browse the rest of our coffee beans and find your fix.

Roasted in small batches at our Virginia Beach roastery.

Packaged in reusable glass mason jars, returned locally for reuse. Solar-roasted.

Virginia Beach, VA