Characteristics and Flavor Profile of Geisha Varietals - Differences Between Geisha Village and Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Coffee Beans

Some people wonder why Geisha coffee is so expensive, so what does Geisha coffee actually taste like? FrontStreet Coffee believes that when you drink Geisha coffee, you'll feel like you're not drinking a cup of coffee, but rather a cup of floral and fruity tea. Due to different growing regions, Geisha coffee presents varying flavor profiles, but overall, Geisha coffee possesses a naturally elegant and refined flavor, forming a stark contrast with the famous Blue Mountain coffee flavor.

In fact, Geisha is a coffee variety. Geisha or Gesha (called Geisha in Central America) is a precious coffee variety with unique jasmine fragrance and bright fruit acidity. It often dominates various coffee competitions, and its price has become increasingly expensive.

Those familiar with coffee may know that Geisha coffee actually grows in the Geisha forests of Ethiopia, but due to low production, it wasn't valued and was even used as a windbreak tree. However, it became famous after reaching Panama. Why is this? Ultimately, it's due to different environmental climates. Different climatic environments certainly produce different coffee flavors! Moreover, FrontStreet Coffee has discovered a peculiar characteristic of Geisha coffee: the harsher the environment, the better the coffee flavor!

Many people might have this misconception: since La Esmeralda's Geisha was introduced from Ethiopia, could it be the same variety as the Geisha coffee from Geisha Village?

FrontStreet Coffee thinks this idea is normal, but everyone must remember that Ethiopia is the genetic library of coffee. Although Panamanian Geisha coffee beans were introduced and cultivated from Ethiopia, their variety and flavor differ from those of Geisha Village. Although the Geisha variety's flavor is exquisite, this elegant flavor originates from specific growing environments. The Geisha variety is very selective about its growing environment, requiring high altitude, cloud and mist shade or numerous shade trees, and fertile soil. High-altitude Geisha variety coffee has distinct floral aromas and refined, elegant fruit acidity. Therefore, Panama's growing environment is also an important reason for Geisha coffee's fame and one of the reasons for its global popularity.

Today, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce everyone to Geisha coffee from Geisha Village and Geisha coffee from La Esmeralda Estate.

What is Gesha Village Coffee Estate?

In 2007, documentary director Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel, while filming a documentary about Ethiopian coffee for the Ethiopian government, encountered the Gera coffee forest in the Bench-Maji region. During this process, they not only rediscovered this great land of Ethiopia but also developed the idea of establishing their own coffee estate and brand. In 2009, they had the fortune to meet the famous La Mula estate owner and BOP judge Willem Boot, whose idea of "returning to Ethiopia to find Geisha's birthplace" provided an opportunity for the couple.

Gesha Village Coffee Estate is different from most Ethiopian small farms—it's a large farm with nearly 500 hectares, equipped with its own washing station, laboratory, etc. Gesha Village had its first harvest in 2015, and due to enthusiastic responses from all parties, with the assistance of Panamanian La Mula estate owner Willem Boot, they held their first international auction on May 31, 2017. Gesha Village offered 21 micro-lots, with 19 lots of 120 kilograms each, while several other lots were even smaller.

Gesha Village Geisha coffee is deeply loved by many competitors, with numerous contestants choosing batches from this estate to participate in competitions and win honors. Notably, Hong Kong's Zhao Jiabao used Gesha Village Geisha coffee to win third place in the 2017 World Barista Championship. In the same year, Japan's Ishiya Takayuki also chose Gesha Village coffee to win his first Japan Barista Championship (JBC) title in his ten-year competition journey.

Ethiopian Geisha Coffee

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, but the Geisha coffee beans currently grown in Ethiopia's Gesha Village have little genetic relationship to the Panamanian Geisha coffee beans we know. Ethiopian Geisha coffee is divided into three varieties:

Gori Gesha (GG): This variety replicates the genetic diversity found within the Gori Gesha coffee forest. FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha Village Red Label is the Gori Gesha variety.

Illubabor Forest 1974 (IF): Discovered during a 1974 expedition to the Illubabor forest, later developed by the Ethiopian Research Center into a variety with disease resistance.

Gesha 1931 (G31): A combination of varieties from different forests, very similar to Panamanian Geisha, selected through observation of plant morphology, bean appearance, screen size, and cupping quality.

It's important to note that the first two Geisha coffee varieties are genetically completely different from Panamanian Geisha coffee. According to official descriptions, Gesha 1931 is closest to Panamanian Geisha in terms of plant shape and cupping performance, but the actual genetic consistency percentage is very low. Therefore, the flavors of Ethiopian Geisha coffee and Panamanian Geisha coffee can be said to be completely different.

FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha Village Red Label Geisha coffee uses natural processing. This Gesha Village Red Label coffee variety is Gori Gesha, discovered in the Gori forest.

La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Coffee

Geisha coffee's journey to La Esmeralda Estate and its subsequent fame was a long one. The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forests of Ethiopia. Afterwards, Geisha was sent to Kenya's Coffee Research Institute, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, to Costa Rica in 1953, and to Panama in 1970. Initially, not many people paid attention to Geisha until Panama's La Esmeralda Estate (also known as Panama Geisha Hacienda La Esmeralda) separated it from other varieties in 2003, and it became the BOP competition champion in 2004.

Only then did the Geisha variety truly enter everyone's spotlight. Although the Geisha variety's flavor is exquisite, this elegant flavor originates from specific growing environments. The Geisha variety is very selective about its growing environment, requiring high altitude, cloud and mist shade or numerous shade trees, and fertile soil. High-altitude Geisha variety coffee has distinct floral aromas and refined, elegant fruit acidity. This elegant flavor is also one of the reasons for its global popularity.

La Esmeralda Estate

La Esmeralda Estate is where Geisha coffee became famous. In 1964, American banker Rudolph Peterson retired, moved to Panama, and purchased La Esmeralda Estate in Boquete, initially focusing on dairy farming. Later, his son Price resigned from his medical position to help his father manage the farm. In 1987, they introduced Caturra and Catuai coffee varieties, and in 1994, established a washing station, giving them their own coffee processing facility. In 1996, they acquired the nearby Jaramillo estate, which had superior geographical environment and good original coffee variety flavors, incorporating it into La Esmeralda Estate.

The reason Jaramillo caught the attention of the Peterson father and son was precisely because its originally planted coffee beans carried pleasant orange and floral-fruity aromas, different from the original flavors of Panamanian coffee. After cupping coffee beans from different areas of the estate, they discovered that it was an unknown coffee tree growing at the highest point of the estate. Due to low production, the previous owner had simply used it as a windbreak tree. However, the Petersons discovered it and decided to separate the coffee trees in this area for independent cultivation. After winning the 2004 Panama BOP competition, it continued to amaze people. Later, expert identification revealed that this coffee bean was the Ethiopian Geisha variety. Since then, the Peterson family has focused most of their energy on developing infrastructure to support excellent batch separation and fine processing.

La Esmeralda Estate Geisha coffee is divided into three types:

Red Label batches: Geisha planted at 1600-1800 meters altitude, with cupping scores above 90 points, mainly produced in the Jaramillo and Canas Verdes regions. FrontStreet Coffee's Red Label Geisha coffee comes from Canas Verdes, processed using natural methods, with distinct rose aromas and berry sweetness and acidity.

Green Label batches: Not participating in auctions but still excellent quality. Green Label Geisha is planted at 1600-1800 meters altitude, mainly mixed batches from different plots including Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, etc. FrontStreet Coffee's Green Label Geisha coffee comes in both natural and washed processing. The washed version has floral, fruity, and citrus aromas with a clean, fresh taste; while the natural processing maintains the washed base while adding a thick, juicy texture.

Blue Label: Planted at 1400-1500 meters altitude, Blue Label mixes Geisha coffee beans from three different plots: Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, and El Velo. In previous years, Blue Label Geisha was only available in washed processing, but the 2020 Blue Label batch added natural processing methods.

However, in the 2021 production season, La Esmeralda Estate has discontinued the Blue Label series. The Geisha coffee produced in the original Blue Label Geisha region was sold to a brand, which launched "Las Rocas," or volcanic rock Geisha coffee beans. In the end consumer market, the original Blue Label simply changed brands while maintaining its flavor profile.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations:

To brew a delicious cup of coffee, FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee bean freshness is a crucial factor, as fresh coffee beans allow you to experience the rich flavors of coffee to the greatest extent. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness greatly affects flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," ensuring that every customer receives the freshest coffee when their order arrives. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans, which is also fine. However, FrontStreet Coffee must remind everyone: when coffee beans are ground in advance, there's no need for a resting period, because the pressure from carbon dioxide in the packaging during transportation can also help the coffee flavor become mellow. Therefore, you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the coffee grounds. However, coffee grounds need to be brewed promptly, as they oxidize quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee flavor will dissipate relatively quickly, and the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better experience the coffee's flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Coffee Brewing Parameters:

FrontStreet Coffee chooses: V60 dripper, water temperature 90°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, coffee amount 15g, grind size (80% pass-through rate on China #20 standard sieve)

Using staged extraction, bloom with twice the coffee amount in water (30g water for 30 seconds). The blooming process is necessary to allow the coffee grounds to release internal carbon dioxide gas, ensuring more stable extraction in the later stages. With a small water flow, pour in circles to 125g, then continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait for the water to finish dripping from the dripper, then remove it. Time from the start of pouring is 2'00". Next, pick up the entire coffee cup and shake it well, then pour into a tasting cup.

Gesha Village Red Label Geisha Coffee Flavor: At high temperature, it has citrus acidity with good body thickness. As the temperature slightly decreases, the acidity becomes gentler, with flavors leaning toward yellow stone fruits, creamy sweetness, light floral notes, and slight dark cocoa aftertaste. At low temperature, it reveals maple and berry notes.

Panama La Esmeralda Estate Red Label Geisha Coffee Flavor: Bright rose and citrus aromas, with notes of brown rice, berries, apricots, complex fruits, and honey. It has a thick juice-like texture with rich flavor layers and noticeable sweetness.

Panama La Esmeralda Estate Green Label Geisha Coffee Flavor: Rich jasmine fragrance, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juicy texture, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, with overall rich flavor layers and persistent floral and citrus aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee's Volcanic Rock Coffee Flavor: Ginger flower, citrus, honey, grapefruit

At FrontStreet Coffee, Geisha coffee doesn't just come from Panama and Gesha Village. There's also Costa Rica's Milasú Geisha coffee, Colombia's Hanami Geisha coffee, and Panama's Butterfly Geisha coffee. Of course, these latter two are Geisha blend coffees, but if you want to experience Geisha coffee flavor without spending so much money, these are excellent choices!

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