For most specialty coffee brewers, the words “Gesha coffee” can manifest both feelings of excitement and intimidation. After all, it’s a coffee known for its rarity and exceptional quality with lots selling for hefty price tags at global auctions.

Although Gesha coffee has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after varietals, Plain Sight believes experiencing the best of what this rare coffee has to offer shouldn’t be gatekept. Through the launch of The Edit Collection, a series of curated coffee beans from around the world, Plain Sight invites specialty coffee enthusiasts to develop a deeper appreciation for these rare drops. 

To learn more about The Edit Collection and its debut release, Oma Gesha, we sat down with Kurt Lee, Plain Sight's Director of Coffee and Head of Wholesale Operations.

How The Edit Collection Came To Be

From roasting beans in their garage to releasing their first Gesha coffee 11 years later, it’s exciting to witness Plain Sight’s growth since their humble operations began. For Kurt, the launch of The Edit Collection is something they had always envisioned. 

“We’ve actually wanted to do this for a long time now. But we waited till the timing was perfect. We wanted to push the boundaries of coffee while keeping what Plain Sight stands for, consistency and accessibility.”

The decision to release the Oma Gesha as the first coffee in The Edit collection wasn’t born out of following trends. Instead, it evokes a significant memory during Plain Sight’s early days that the roaster would like to share with its community. 

Kurt reflected that “early on in our coffee journey, we tasted our first ever Gesha coffee, it was a coffee from Panama. And I learned that this Gesha variety originated from Ethiopia. And the more we explored coffee, the more we got to try coffee from this Gesha village. We were actually blown away by what coffee can taste like. It has a remarkable clarity and tasted elegant but not overly delicate. It’s very floral and complex with just so many flavors. It’s not just about releasing famous coffees, but we wanted to release a coffee that’s truly exciting and hopefully we can share that with our community.”

Behind the Roasting Process of Oma Gesha

Roasting is a crucial element in specialty coffee. And with the Oma Gesha, Plain Sight approached this process like they would with any of their releases. 

“We approach this coffee the same way we approach our other coffees. We wanted to bring out the inherent characteristics of the coffee itself, it has so much complexity. So we don’t really need to tweak it as much. We roasted it as a light roast to bring out sweetness and floral notes. In a way, we’re kinda spoiled with this coffee,” shared Kurt. 

Oma Gesha Brewing Tips

Kurt has some straightforward advice to specialty coffee brewers who are looking forward to trying the Oma Gesha but might feel intimidated to make mistakes. 

Best put by Kurt, “my tip is don’t be intimidated. Just use good water, freshly ground beans, and brew how you normally would. But because this coffee is really complex and has a lot of flavors, you brew it with a higher ratio. This coffee can push it up to 1:17. It’s not going to be watery, it’s just going to bring out more of the flavors.” 

Next in Line for The Edit Collection

Plain Sight is far from done with The Edit Collection. It’s safe to say the specialty coffee community can expect a few more unexpected drops in the future.

“We want to take our time with the releases in The Edit Collection. We wanna keep every release exciting and different.  We’re exploring exceptional coffee from different origins, maybe some with unique processing methods and varieties we don’t normally get to feature. Some might offer a completely different tasting experience from what people expect. Rather than release coffees on a fixed schedule, we would rather wait till we find that perfect coffee that genuinely deserves to be part of The Edit,” explained Kurt.

Message to the Plain Sight Community and Curious Brewers

New to Gesha coffee? Kurt has a message especially for those eager to try Plain Sight’s Oma Gesha. 

As passionately narrated by Kurt, “if you’ve never tried a Gesha before, this is a great opportunity to experience why it became one of the world’s most celebrated coffee varieties. Don’t approach it expecting it to be better than other coffees. Instead, approach it with curiosity. Pay attention to the aroma, floral-fruity notes, and how the hell coffee can taste like this.”

Oma Gesha Out Now

The Oma Gesha is available for purchase on the Plain Sight website and Plain Sight HQ at Mandala Park, Mandaluyong. Roasted in small batches and limited quantities only, don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience these rare coffee beans.

Want to Try Oma Gesha for Yourself?

We’re hosting a one day only event where you can sample the Oma Gesha in an exclusive coffee flight. Expect special recipes prepared by three expert brewers. Head to www.plainsight.coffee/signup to secure your slot!