Franceschi Washed Gesha, Lot 232 - Roasted 01/25/2026

Origin

• 🇵🇦 Panama· Volcán

Tasting notes

Character

• Bright
  30
• Bold
  25
• Clean
  20

Tastes Like: Navel Orange, Honeysuckles, White Tea Origin: Volcan, Chiriqui, Panama VarietyVariety (cultivar)The botanical subtype of the coffee plant — Gesha, Bourbon, SL28 — analogous to grape varieties in wine. A major driver of cup character alongside origin and process.: GeishaGesha (Geisha)A rare, jasmine-and-bergamot scented variety originally from Ethiopia's Gesha forest, made famous by Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Routinely the most expensive coffee at auction. Producer: Carlos Franceschi and Jean Paul Langenstein Elevation: 1,600 - 1,800 masl Process: WashedWashed processThe fruit is removed from the seed before drying, usually with fermentation and a water rinse. Tends to give clean, transparent cups where origin character shows clearly. The Franceschi name has long been tied to the volcanic soils of Chiriquí. Carlos Aguilera Franceschi is the grandson of Efrain Franceschi, the visionary who founded Carmen Estate in the 1960s. Under the family’s stewardship, Carmen Estate grew into one of Panama’s most acclaimed farms, producing Geisha lots that helped define the country’s reputation on the global stage. Carlos himself spent decades guiding Carmen Estate to international renown, with the farm’s coffees winning at auctions like Best of Panama and setting benchmarks for Panamanian quality. In recent years, however, the family chose to sell Carmen Estate to a large overseas buyer. For Carlos, this was not an ending, but a chance to start again on his own terms. Together with his friend and business partner Jean Paul Langenstein, he created Franceschi Coffee —a project rooted in Volcán. Instead of managing a massive estate, Carlos and Jean Paul turned their focus toward smaller, carefully managed plots of land where only Geisha is cultivated. They also collaborate with neighboring farmers, purchasing select Geisha cherries and processing them with meticulous attention. The result is a farm project that blends heritage with a new, more intimate vision. Franceschi Coffee is about refining what Carlos learned at Carmen Estate, but applied to smaller, artisanal lots that let the purity of Geisha and the volcanic terroirTerroirBorrowed from wine: the way a place — soil, altitude, climate, even neighboring crops — expresses itself in the cup, independent of variety and process. shine through. This washed Geisha is a perfect expression of that philosophy. The classic processing method highlights clarity and brightness, allowing the variety’s naturalNatural processThe whole cherry is dried with the fruit still on the seed. Gives heavier body and big fruit flavors — think berries and wine — sometimes with a fermenty edge. elegance to shine. Expect a bouquet of florals—honeysuckle and orange blossom—with delicate citrus tones reminiscent of navel orange and clementine cream. A tea-like bodyBodyThe weight and texture of coffee in the mouth, from tea-like and delicate to syrupy and heavy. Driven by process, roast, variety, and brew method. rounds out the cup, making it both refined and approa