What do SL-28 and Gesha varieties taste like?

SL-28 and Gesha are both African varieties known for bright, floral, and citrus-forward profiles. When grown in Nariño, Colombia, they gain additional chocolate and stone fruit sweetness from the region's volcanic soils and high altitude, creating a more layered cup than these varieties typically offer in their native regions.

Is this coffee roasted light or dark?

Counter Culture roasts this microlot to a light-to-medium level that preserves the bright acidity and floral character of the SL-28 and Gesha varieties while allowing the chocolate and fruit notes to come through. The roast is designed to showcase the coffee's complexity rather than caramelize or darken the beans heavily.

What brewing method works best for this coffee?

This coffee performs well across multiple brew methods. Pour-over and other filter methods highlight the clarity and bright citrus notes, while French press brings out more body and chocolate. Espresso can work if you like fruit-forward shots with pronounced acidity. The profile shifts noticeably depending on your approach, so it rewards experimentation.

What is the Borderlands project?

The Borderlands project is a collective of coffee producers in Nariño, Colombia, who work together to improve quality and build direct relationships with buyers. They maintain variety-specific plots to understand how different cultivars perform in their unique microclimates, resulting in traceable, distinctive coffees like this SL-28 and Gesha microlot.

Borderlands Microlot

b corp
fair trade

The 3-second version

SL-28 and Gesha varieties from high-altitude plots in Nariño, Colombia
Bright citrus and floral character with chocolate and stone fruit undertones
Sourced from variety-specific parcels in the Borderlands collective
Light to medium roast emphasizes acidity
Single 12 oz size only

Why it's on GiftsFeed

Colombian microlot coffee from SL-28 and Gesha varieties

Most specialty coffees prioritize either brightness or body, rarely delivering both with balance. This microlot succeeds because it pairs African varieties known for their lively, floral profiles with the volcanic soils and altitude of Nariño, a region that naturally brings sweetness and depth. The Borderlands producers grow SL-28 and Gesha in dedicated plots, which means the beans aren't blended away into anonymity—you taste what these specific plants do in this specific place. If you've tried Gesha or SL-28 before and found them too delicate or one-dimensional, the Colombian terroir adds structure and fruit that make the cup more complete.

Good gift when

Coffee drinkers who like to explore single-origin profiles and trace varietals
Anyone who enjoys bright, complex cups with both acidity and sweetness
People who brew multiple ways and want a coffee that rewards experimentation

Skip it if You prefer darker roasts with bold, roasted flavors over bright, fruit-forward profiles

Specs

Origin: Nariño, Colombia
Varieties: SL-28 and Gesha
Size: 12 oz
Project: Borderlands collective
Tasting Notes: Citrus, floral, chocolate, stone fruit

What's included

12 oz whole bean coffee

If you're giving it

No sizing to guess

Whole bean coffee; best consumed within a few weeks of roasting for peak flavor.

The details

This microlot brings together two celebrated African coffee varieties—SL-28 and Gesha—grown in the highlands of Nariño, Colombia. The result is a cup that layers the lively citrus and floral character these cultivars are known for with the region's signature chocolate and stone fruit sweetness.

The beans come from variety-specific plots maintained by producers in the Borderlands project, a collective effort in Nariño focused on quality and sustainable livelihoods. By dedicating parcels to individual cultivars, these growers have learned how different plants respond to their particular soils and microclimates, refining their approach to yield distinctive, traceable coffees.

SL-28 and Gesha are both prized for their complexity and clarity. When grown at high altitude in the Andes, they take on a profile that balances brightness with depth. Expect a clean, articulate cup with layers that unfold as it cools—floral and citrus on the front, chocolate and stone fruit trailing behind.

Counter Culture roasts this coffee to highlight those layered flavors without muting the acidity or overshadowing the fruit. The 12-ounce bag gives you enough to dial in your brew and explore how the profile shifts across different methods, whether you favor pour-over, French press, or espresso.

Counter Culture

Borderlands Microlot

Bright citrus and floral notes meet sweet chocolate and stone fruit

$24at counterculturecoffee.com

Quantity

Ships and sold by Counter Culture. About this merchant

The 3-second version

SL-28 and Gesha varieties from high-altitude plots in Nariño, Colombia
Bright citrus and floral character with chocolate and stone fruit undertones
Sourced from variety-specific parcels in the Borderlands collective
Light to medium roast emphasizes acidity
Single 12 oz size only

Questions

What do SL-28 and Gesha varieties taste like?: SL-28 and Gesha are both African varieties known for bright, floral, and citrus-forward profiles. When grown in Nariño, Colombia, they gain additional chocolate and stone fruit sweetness from the region's volcanic soils and high altitude, creating a more layered cup than these varieties typically offer in their native regions.
Is this coffee roasted light or dark?: Counter Culture roasts this microlot to a light-to-medium level that preserves the bright acidity and floral character of the SL-28 and Gesha varieties while allowing the chocolate and fruit notes to come through. The roast is designed to showcase the coffee's complexity rather than caramelize or darken the beans heavily.
What brewing method works best for this coffee?: This coffee performs well across multiple brew methods. Pour-over and other filter methods highlight the clarity and bright citrus notes, while French press brings out more body and chocolate. Espresso can work if you like fruit-forward shots with pronounced acidity. The profile shifts noticeably depending on your approach, so it rewards experimentation.
What is the Borderlands project?: The Borderlands project is a collective of coffee producers in Nariño, Colombia, who work together to improve quality and build direct relationships with buyers. They maintain variety-specific plots to understand how different cultivars perform in their unique microclimates, resulting in traceable, distinctive coffees like this SL-28 and Gesha microlot.