AWARD TOUR: Colombia Israel Hernandez Gesha

The third stop on Huck’s Award Tour is a familiar name around here: Israel Hernandez! 

Israel’s Gesha variety needs little introduction - we’ve been roasting this coffee every year since 2018, back when he was just getting started. We were there for his very first Gesha harvest, and we haven’t looked back since.

In the years that followed, Israel didn’t just grow coffee - he started collecting hardware. A 4th place finish in the 2020 Cup of Excellence tops the list, but he’s also taken home prizes in the Colombian Coffee Federation’s Land of Diversity Competition, multiple other Cup of Excellence editions, and countless local contests along the way. 

Gesha (or sometimes Geisha, depending on who you ask) is a coffee variety native to Western Ethiopia, but it’s become famous in Latin America. Starting with the 2004 Panama Cup of Excellence, Gesha has been winning national coffee and international barista competitions ever since, thanks to its intense floral and citrus flavors.

Israel Hernandez grows coffee & farms near the remote town of Rioblanco in Tolima. When HUCK visited Colombia in 2017, we were roasting other coffees from Rioblanco, and had the chance to taste Israel’s first ever harvest of Gesha. It was so good that we committed to purchase it on the spot. That harvest was just a few pounds of coffee, but we’ve sourced and roasted Israel’s Gesha every season since! 

Israel deserved the Award Tour treatment long before we even started the series, and this year’s coffee slaps as always. Hibiscus florality, lemon drop candy brightness, with cherry and melon fruit tones. We’re stoked to be roasting another complex and delicious Gesha, from a producer we’re proud to call a longtime partner!

*** For roasting schedule, shipping, receiving & additional information, please visit out Frequently Asked Questions . And, for a primer on coffee processing, check out our Processing Basics Guide. ***

Produced by Israel Hernandez in the Rioblanco region of Tolima, this Colombia Israel Hernandez Gesha represents a meticulous approach to coffee cultivation. The Gesha varietal is globally celebrated for its distinct, tea-like clarity and complex aromatic profile, often serving as a benchmark for high-end specialty coffee. When sourced from Colombia, these beans frequently highlight the unique terroir of the Andean landscape.

Roasted by Huckleberry Roasters, this specific lot showcases a vibrant spectrum of flavors, ranging from delicate hibiscus florality to the sharp sweetness of lemon drop candy. The cup is further rounded out by nuanced cherry and melon fruit tones. For those looking to better categorize these specific sensory experiences, consulting a flavor wheel can be an excellent way to map the intricate interplay between the bright acidity and the layered fruit characteristics present in this exceptional offering.