RARITIES - Guatemala, Finca Gascon, Koji Gesha

Mango sticky rice, cantalope, rosehip

Variety: Gesha

Process: Koji Hybrid Washed

Producer: Finca Gascón, Felipe Contreras

Region: Antigua, Guatemala

Koji processed coffee... it still sounds wild and rare, and in some ways it still is. But it has been three years since our first Koji processed coffee! And since then we have had half a dozen Koji lots. But we digress... You might still be asking: What is Koji processed coffee? Koji is a mold grown on grains, a key ingredient used to produce sake, soy sauce, and miso. Apparently this mold is first mentioned in the Chinese test Zhouli (Rites of the Zhou Dynasty) in the year 300 BCE. For most farmers, it is most commonly spread as spores across the cherries during the "natural" drying process; the spores growing on the cherries as they ferment/dry on raised beds. However, Felipe Contreras and his team at Finca Gascón have innovated a process using Shio Koji, which is essentially a paste that can be added to the fermentation tanks. This is done before raised bed drying. With this specific Koji Washed Hybrid Gesha lot, the cherries are then depulped, washed, and then dried on raised beds. This results in a unique combination of washed Gesha florality with some sweet and spicy notes due to the Koji process. We're so excited for you to try this coffee. Don't miss out!