Diedrich IR5 Analysis by Doris Garrido
In Latin America it was popular for people to write poetry on street walls, like graffiti style, so the other day I read one that said: I used to be an atheist, until I tasted that Gesha, and I didn’t know who to thank!
And I totally identified with the phrase. I’m a fanatic of rainbow flavors, and in this coffee world, I have developed a deep love for delicate and botanical aromas. And as usual, whenever we have a Gesha, I get overly excited -first to taste the possibilities on the sample roast and then to practice the Chris Kornman lessons to make the gesha out of it.
So, for this roast, I aimed to start with a low charge temperature, give the coffee a long drying phase, maintain and control the heat during Maillard, and finish with a short development.
To begin, I warmed up the roaster just below 400F charging the coffee when the temperature hit 396F. I then observed how the coffee reacted to the initial heat and decided to wait 3 minutes to add the 70% gas. Later, I increased it to 100% and let it run until minute 6, when I dropped it to 30%. The color change occurred around 300F. At that point, entering the Maillard phase, I cranked the airflow to full and waited for the first crack.
With these adjustments, I reached yellowing at 3 minutes and 16 seconds and noticed the coffee started cracking when the temperature marked 380F. I usually aim for short developments when roasting Geshas, but in this case, I wanted to stretch just a hair more, to compliment the yellowing and caramelize a touch more. I ended up dropping the coffee at 398F. The total roast time was 10 minutes and 24 seconds -a relatively long drying phase that allowed me to work the Maillard and get the intense orange blossom.
On the cupping table, this was not my usual Gesha, it was intense, vibrant, bursting with high botanical notes. The taste was very lemony, with remarkable bergamot, a very sweet and citrusy bergamot from Berkeley Bowl, I may say. Alongside hints of hibiscus, lemongrass, lychee, and ginger. Josh calls for coconut, Chris for Angel food cake, and I agree with all of them. This coffee is full of flavors that I am not used to in a Gesha, and that was when I remembered, this is an Inoculated Carbonic Colombia Gesha from Edwin Norena campo Hermoso farm, so my answers were there.
I still don't know who to thank Geshas but for this particular one Edwin and Mother Earth is a good start!
Brew Analysis by Alisha Rajan
After eager anticipation, we had the pleasure of meeting Edwin Norena not too long ago during our annual coffee symposium at the Crown. We were star struck, even more so due to his kind and affable nature, his genuine inquisitiveness, and his willingness to share his gifts with us. It’s not every day you encounter a coffee deity! All jokes aside, this high intervention Gesha is everything one would expect it to be as the handiwork of the Alchemist. Nothing short of revelatory, it bordered on the numinous with its ability to capture the elegance of a Gesha with unbridled sweetness and intensity. The sequential fermentations in processing dial up the volume of the botanicals and vibrant fruit character significantly, making this one of the most complex Geshas I have ever tasted.
My approach to the brew analysis was one of simplicity because I knew the coffee would speak for itself. One of my favorite brews happened to be my first one. I used a V60 brewer with an EKS43 grind size of 9 and a dose of 18.0g to yield a 1:16.67 extraction ratio in 3 minutes and 33 seconds. The unmistakable floral overtures were present in the aroma as well as flavor, along with powerful lychee, pineapple, lemon-lime citrus, and peaches n’ cream.
As an alternative profile, I opted to use a flat bottom brewer to bring about a more full-bodied iteration of this coffee. Using a Kalita Wave for this brew, I set the EKS43 grind size to 11 and dosed at 19.0g for a ratio of 1:15.79 and extraction time of 3 minutes 19 seconds. The extraction percentage was quite a bit higher, but I had reached an optimal syrupy consistency that complemented the flavor profile very well. This one was heavy on the cherry, rose and orange blossom florals, pink lemonade, boozy raspberry, pineapple upside down cake, and creamy earl grey. It was a truly stunning and layered tasting experience. Overall, I recommend a moderate grind and dose for a conical brewer, and a higher dose and coarser grind for a flat bottom brewer to bring out the best balance of fruit and botanicals.
Edwin’s work often reminds me of the magician archetype. The magician is a symbol of concentrated power, resourcefulness, and an abounding creativity that bridges the divide between the earth and the heavens. He knows how to amplify the natural treasure that lies before him, which I believe is a very apt metaphor for how this coffee has been processed. I hope you are as enchanted by it as I am.
