Detailed Introduction to 90+ Series Coffee and Ninety Plus Coffee Bean Prices

Introducing Ninety Plus Coffee

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Coffee shops today chase Ninety Plus (90+) coffees the way collectors chase rare bottles. In the coffee world, the 90+ name is a badge of honor. But what exactly is Ninety Plus coffee, and how do you explain it to someone else? Here is a full introduction.

What Exactly Are 90+ Coffee Beans?

"90+" does not mean every coffee that scores above 90 in a cupping. It refers to a premium coffee series built around 13 distinct flavor profiles.

Sometimes the beans come from different estates, and each carries its own flavor signature. During processing, the team sorts them by variety, climate, and harvest timing, tasting each separately. The results are treated like works of art approaching perfection—crafted with heart and soul to reach the ideal taste.

Their pursuit of ultimate flavor is genuinely admirable, and their sustainable model and environmentally friendly operations have become a benchmark for many producers. Since the company was founded in 2006, this young outfit has made the global coffee industry take notice in just a few years. The coffee series first unveiled in 2007 was immediately regarded by experts as a precious selection.

Founder Joseph Brodsky

Starting in 2006, founder Joseph Brodsky set out to change the entrenched commercial coffee cultivation model. Ninety Plus saw a chance to cultivate shade-loving, delicious heirloom Ethiopian varieties on tropical land while creating a new model that rewards coffee growers and improves their quality of life.

The Ninety Plus team now owns and/or operates more than 1,500 hectares of coffee forest restoration projects in Panama and Ethiopia, and has built an international brand that promotes an ecology- and socially-oriented agricultural economy driven by taste.

Brodsky realized early on that the world's finest green coffees all trace back to Ethiopia, and that its many distinct varieties are every bit the equal of the 10,000 grape varieties behind a million different fine wines.

All of Ninety Plus's green beans come from Ethiopian heirloom varieties, including the Gesha grown on Panamanian estates, which was itself transplanted from Ethiopian heirlooms. Processing is where Ninety Plus excels. They separate coffees by variety, microclimate, and harvest timing, cupping each one, then design a specific process for each flavor profile—much as a fashion house researches and refines a collection until each piece is nearly a work of art. Natural lots are refined extensively before they are presented in their best form.

In 2006 Brodsky founded Ninety Plus (90+). Inspired by the stir caused by Geisha's arrival in Panama in 2003 and 2004, he began his journey. When Panama did not deliver the results he expected at the time, another idea took hold: among Ethiopia's more than 10,000 coffee varieties, perhaps some still held untapped potential.

To guarantee quality, 90+ partners with local estates and keeps full control from cultivation, sampling, and harvesting through to processing and cupping. Its exclusive Profile Processing ensures that every bean released carries unique, stable flavor and quality. The marketing, styled like premium wine, sets 90+ apart in the market.

The 90+ Profile Processing Method

As coffee moves toward the high-priced specialty market, 90+ pioneered its own green bean production system: Profile Processing.

At first the company simply selected the most outstanding cherries from Ethiopian farmers and applied the most refined processing to already-good beans. This produced the early flagship 90+ lot, Aricha and Beloya, whose rich fruit flavors and quality stunned the specialty coffee world.

Next, the company identified promising farmers and gave them target flavor profiles based on the beans they were already producing, re-engineering the process toward those goals. Scientific management was gradually used to steer samples toward the flavors 90+ had set, and only the lots that matched most closely were released.

Put simply, Profile Processing extends management upstream: variety, origin, climate, cultivation, harvesting, and processing all fall under their control. That lets them produce exceptionally high-quality beans to their own specification. The genius of the system is mastering the technology that governs flavor expression, so they can set the highest standards instead of relying on the luck-based selection typical of green bean suppliers. Exceeding quality standards is not luck for 90+; it is the average.

Natural Process Quality Control

Selection

At Ninety Plus farms, pickers select only red cherries—the color of ripe coffee. As coffee ripens, sugars develop and build the best flavors.

Helping workers understand the physical changes in the cherries is crucial. If they squeeze a cherry and count the drops that escape, they can gauge how much mucilage it holds. One study found this can explain 20% of the variation in cupping scores, with higher mucilage meaning better-tasting coffee. More than three drops is a good sign.

After harvesting, Carlos and his team measure the weight and density of cherries in one-liter containers. Results are divided by variety for comparison, and yield records are kept in logs.

Cherries are hand-sorted both before and after being placed on raised beds. Workers must remove any underripe cherries and watch for coffee berry borer (broca) holes.

Raised beds keep the cherries on a clean surface with air circulating around them, helping them dry evenly. The key is a thin layer and regular movement.

Drying Period

For the first three days the cherries get sunlight and cool nights. After the third day they are shaded from 12 PM to 2 PM, the hottest part of the day. When coffee is shaded, it is important to leave space on the beds.

After 20-25 days the coffee reaches its ideal moisture content: 10.5% for natural process, rather than the more common 11-12%. The reason is that the high sugar levels still reacting inside the cherry raise the risk of over-fermentation.

Moisture is checked with a moisture meter. He also recommends measuring humidity during the coldest part of the day for greater accuracy.

Cherry Storage

Stored cherries go into GrainPro bags to protect them from insects, then into warehouses away from direct sunlight. Raised wooden courtyards keep the bags off the floor. Humidity (60-65%) and temperature (19-25°C) inside the warehouse are carefully controlled.

Coffee takes an average of three months to prepare for export. During that time it keeps stabilizing: herbal flavors fade while acidity and sweetness continue to develop.

Ninety Plus coffee is famous for its processing, but great coffee never comes without significant investment—and professional-grade natural process is no exception.

The Production System Behind 90+ Profile Processing

90+ beans are named completely differently from typical specialty beans. Instead of including region and estate names, each bean is named for its flavor profile. The famous Nekisse, for example, originally derives from "nectar from Shakisso."

90+ naming usually begins with a flavor concept, then a name, then the selection of regions and partner farms—a boutique-management approach that sets it apart from ordinary specialty beans.

With typical beans we look for letters like N, H, or W. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe G3 N, for instance, is the common "Natural Process Yirgacheffe G3," where N stands for Natural, H for Honey, and W for Washed. 90+ takes a different view: rather than separating beans by processing method, it separates them by flavor profile. Each method usually carries a more representative flavor—

Natural: bold fruit aromas

Honey: more prominent sweetness

Washed: cleaner flavor profile

But 90+ argues that different processing methods can still yield similar profiles; a honey-processed bean, for example, might taste more like a washed one. So it introduced three basic flavor indicators—N2, H2, and W2—categorized by the intensity of fruit aroma and mouthfeel:

W2: (Low) lower fruit notes, emphasizing brightness, acidity, and floral aromas

H2: (Moderate) moderate fruit notes, emphasizing sweetness, fruit mouthfeel (not aroma), and tea-like qualities

N2: (High) stronger fruit notes, emphasizing bold expression, sweet-sour balance, jammy and dried-fruit character

In 2011, to improve the stability of Panama-grown green beans during drying, Joseph drew on wood drying rooms and developed a solar drying system with the University of Wisconsin. This exclusive method was named Solkiln (SK). Beans processed this way command premium prices, and because of space limits production is extremely small.

In 2009, 90+ established the NPGE estate in Panama, planted exclusively with the most vigorous Geisha coffee.

Within NPGE they set up the Ninety Plus Sensory Room and the Solar Kiln Laboratory (for SK processing), along with experimental processes unlike typical green bean handling, such as Red processing and Ruby processing.

Think of NPGE as 90+'s largest experimental farm—testing the best varieties and fully implementing the Profile Processing system.

After several years of cultivation, the team released five Geisha varieties from NPGE: Lycello, Perci, Juliette, Silvia, and Lotus.

Among them, Perci has upgraded versions—Perci Red (Red processing) and Perci Ruby (Ruby processing)—creating different expressions of its sweetness, while Silvia and Lotus are the newest products using SK processing.

Only SK (Solar Kiln) is specially marked, because it is 90+'s original method with more specific targeting, which is why it earns a special label.

The 90+ Grading System

90+ beans also use a distinct scoring approach. Green bean suppliers can have their own scoring standards, but here grades are classified by three factors: flavor, cost, and yield.

Beyond its own flavor symbols, each 90+ bean carries a grade unlike those used in other countries, divided into seven levels:

L4, L7, L12, L21, L39, L95, L195

L stands for Level, sorted by production quantity, processing refinement, difficulty, and selection strictness.

Level 7: single-origin harvest. Rare varieties with delicate flavor and special character are hand-selected, then processed through 90+'s unique methods to reach standards exceeding ninety-plus.

Level 12: single-origin harvest. The website uses doubled negatives—"unmistakable and indelible"—to say that beans of this grade are unforgettable for every coffee professional.

Level 21 (L21) and Level 39 (L39): mostly Gesha varieties cultivated on 90+'s Panama estates. The specially Red-processed Ethiopian Nekisse Red also belongs to L39.

Level 95 (L95) and Level 195 (L195): beans from premium microenvironments on the Panama estates, put through lengthy screening and 90+'s patented drying technology to hit the highest taste standards. Most are processed under the personal care of founder Joseph, and annual production may reach only a dozen to a few dozen kilograms. These belong to the collection category.

The 2017 new harvest may drop the original L grading (originally L7, L12, L39, L139), basing product and product-line divisions instead on more significant taste differences. The lines fall into four series: NinetyPlus Ethiopia, NinetyPlus Panama, Ninety Levelup, and NinetyPlus Limited.

L4: no longer seen in today's 90+ products. It once referred to mixed harvest batches. When a single origin was not rich enough or yields were too low, several excellent origins were blended and processed together for release, somewhat like the earlier Aricha and Beloya. As 90+'s experimental control matured over the years, this grading fell out of use.

L7 and L12: most Ethiopian beans sit in these grades, with excellent flavor in both aroma and texture. This tier can be seen as entry-level 90+ with excellent value.

For example: Tchembe and Kemgin were originally L7, while Nekisse and Hachira were originally L12.

L21 and L39: almost exclusively the domain of Geisha from the NPGE estate. For 90+, the Geisha variety itself represents a high grade, so even the lowest grade is L21. Geisha cultivation may also be more challenging, with stricter processing than Ethiopian beans.

Specially processed Ethiopian beans can also be upgraded into this tier, becoming comparable to Geisha.

For example: Lycello is L21, while Juliette and Perci are L39—all three Geishas from the NPGE estate. Nekisse Red (Red-processed Ethiopian Nekisse) was upgraded to the original L39.

L95 and L195: both require 90+'s special processing to reach, such as Red, Ruby, or SK—effectively exclusive to 90+. To reach the highest level, L195, the bean must be Geisha.

For example: Lotus (SK), Silvia (SK), Semeon Abay (from the master series), and Nekisse Ruby (Ruby-processed Ethiopian) are all L95, while Perci Ruby is currently the only L195 (Ruby processing plus Geisha variety).

The Ninety Plus Specialty Coffee Series

Ninety Plus Ginseng (Wild Ginger)

Name origin: this coffee comes from the town of Nekempte in western Ethiopia. It is lively and clean, with slight fruit, citrus, and ginseng flavors. The "kem" in Kemgin references Nekempte, while "gin" references ginseng. Kemgin-flavored coffee is now produced in the Wellega, Sidama, and Yirgacheffe regions.

Ginseng was officially renamed "Wild Ginger." Compared with 2015's Ginseng, it retains the rare juice-like body of washed beans alongside floral aromas. This year's Wild Ginger brings higher sweetness, gradually transforming the original peach note into the less common orange candy flavor. We highly recommend trying it.

Origin: Ninety Plus Ethiopia, Wellega, Sidama, and Yirgacheffe regions.

Altitude: 1750-2000m.

Processing method: Washed.

Flavor characteristics: white peach, lime, cantaloupe, ginseng, carob.

Hachira N2

Name origin: from the Aricha region series developed by Ninety Plus with S.A. Bagersh from 2006-2008. This coffee was named "Hachira." It has noticeable juice quality and rich floral aromas, usually carrying elderberry or blackberry flavors, sometimes with herbal basil-like notes.

Origin: Ninety Plus Ethiopia, Achira region.

Altitude: 1750-2000m.

Processing method: Natural process.

Flavor characteristics: rich floral aromas, noticeable juice quality, with elderberry, blackberry, herbal basil-like flavors, and lactose-like notes.

Nekisse Red N2

Name origin: Red-processed Nekisse is like her gorgeous, strong younger sister—sugar-sweet, carrying her older sister's classic aromatic wood and nectar flavors while confident enough to express herself. Tasting it feels like a deeper, richer Nekisse, as if someone outlined Nekisse's contours and drew thick eyebrows on her face, highlighting the most beautiful details.

Origin: Ninety Plus Ethiopia, Wellega and Sidama regions.

Altitude: 1750-2000m.

Processing method: Ninety Plus patented "Red processing," close to but beyond natural processing.

Flavor characteristics: Red processing enhances blueberry, cherry, and dark chocolate flavors while maintaining the balance of fruit chocolate and its multi-layered mouthfeel. The balance is handled very delicately. A rare, excellent coffee.

Nekisse N2

Name origin: in 2009 this coffee was named "Nectar from Shakisso," meaning it tastes like nectar from the town of Shakisso in Ethiopia's Sidama province. Nekisse is known for a creamy, smooth mouthfeel and strong berry-jam qualities, with some batches carrying citrus and mixed tropical fruit. Although originally planted in Shakisso, later Nekisse comes from Wellega and Sidama, keeping only the name. Nekisse planted in Sidama retains the original nectar and berry flavors, setting it apart from all other Ethiopian coffees.

Origin: Ninety Plus Ethiopia, Wellega and Sidama regions.

Altitude: 1750-2000m.

Processing method: Natural process.

Flavor characteristics: clean, multi-layered mouthfeel. Balanced by peach, berry, passion fruit, cream, and milk chocolate. A classic excellent coffee. From hot to cold it keeps bringing surprises of tuberose, blueberry, aromatic wood, and cocoa.

Tchembe N2

Name origin: although this year's Tchembe comes from Yirgacheffe, the name is taken from coffees of the Haricho and Bolo varieties from the Amaro Mountains, which taste of carob and banana when natural processed. Tchembe has a body reminiscent of earth and chocolate, with richly layered citrus and berry flavors.

Origin: Ninety Plus Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe region.

Altitude: 1750-2000m.

Processing method: Natural process.

Flavor characteristics: noticeable heavy body, with earth and dark fruit flavors, plus slight citrus notes.

Juliette H2

On 90+'s Geisha estate there is a path from the farmhouse to the drying area, lined with exceptionally beautiful datura. In the evening these bell-shaped flowers release a captivating, intoxicating aroma that lasts only about an hour. We jokingly call this scent "Evening Beauty." Legend holds that a local Panamanian indigenous tribe placed the flower under their pillows at night for protection, believing datura has special power to guard a family. Datura is, of course, also a "witch herb," alongside deadly nightshade, henbane, and mandrake, and is said to be an essential ingredient in wizards' love potions—though the same flower is also brewed into poisons that cause madness or death. Once, during a small steam flavor evaluation in our sensory lab, we suddenly smelled a blend of honeysuckle, orange, milk chocolate, and florals. The scent took us straight back to that evening on the datura path. Its soft, feminine taste left us deep in thought about the datura flower and Shakespeare's tragic "Romeo and Juliet," so we named this coffee "Juliette."

Origin: Ninety Plus Panama Geisha Estate.

Variety: Geisha.

Level: 39.

Altitude: 1250m-1650m.

Processing method: Honey process.

Flavor: rich floral aromas built on Geisha's inherent profile, with orange peel, caramel, and raw cashew on the palate.

Lotus Solkiln H2

Name origin: Lotus Solkiln emulates the lotus that emerges from mud unstained—a perennial aquatic plant sometimes mistaken for a water lily. Although 90+'s Solkiln-processed Geisha dries the whole fruit, much like traditional natural processing, the beans look little different from washed. Solkiln removes the impact of Panama's humid environment by artificially creating a microenvironment with precise temperature and humidity control. Likewise, the lotus regulates its petal temperature to adapt to environments with humans and other warm-blooded animals. Lotus SK breaks from the tradition of emulating Ethiopian washed or natural processing and also breaks the long-standing impression of Geisha's basic profile. In naming it we were also influenced by "Lotus Flower" by the British band Radiohead, a song about inner peace, freedom, low-key living, and love of music and sensory enjoyment—much like this coffee. If you have the chance, check out the music video.

Origin: Ninety Plus Panama Geisha Estate.

Variety: Geisha.

Level: 95.

Altitude: 1250m-1650m.

Processing method: Ninety Plus patented Solkiln honey process—extending drying time while controlling temperature and humidity with special equipment in a house, enhancing flavor while keeping a washed-like cleanliness.

Flavor: mixed aroma of fig and honey, with richly layered melon, kiwi, and slight tropical fruit on the palate.

Perci N2

Name origin: "Perci" derives from "perspective," meaning viewpoint or angle. During sensory experiments, while running our usual overall evaluation, we suddenly felt a unique, stunning stimulation that gave us a different perspective on coffee. Drawing on the meaning of "perspective," we named it "Perci" to remind us this is a coffee that made us see it in a new light. In our first blind test we were certain these were Ethiopian natural process coffees (in a sense, they are), and our first thought was that this was definitely not Geisha. Basic Geisha flavor has citrus, orange, and jasmine notes, but for Perci that base is only a small component of the profile. It also carries mango, pineapple, carob, banana, plum, red grape, honey, peach, red coral, and many other flavors.

Origin: Ninety Plus Panama Geisha Estate.

Harvest season: 2013-2014.

Variety: Geisha.

Level: 39.

Altitude: 1250m-1650m.

Processing method: Natural process.

Flavor: intense cherry, carob, vanilla, tropical fruit, and mixed juice flavors.

Perci Red N2

Name origin: the effect of Red processing on Perci is like watching a beautiful sunset through red glass. Perci's tropical fruit becomes more transparent and sweeter, and every flavor is coated in a honey brandy feeling. Pineapple, mango, and peach form a fresh fruit jam. It keeps the sweet-sour of fresh fruit and the refreshment of juice, but richer and sweeter—and with many more flavors.

Origin: Ninety Plus Panama Geisha Estate.

Variety: Geisha.

Level: 95.

Altitude: 1250m-1650m.

Processing method: Ninety Plus patented "Red processing," close to but beyond natural processing.

Flavor: Red processing further highlights vanilla, tropical fruit, and mixed juice flavors. Mango and pineapple take on a hint of sweet wine, while banana, red grape, honey, and peach remain unchanged.

Perci Ruby N2

Name origin: Perci Red processing is already amazing, and Ruby processing is even more distinctive. Perci's tropical fruit becomes more transparent, sweet to the extreme, and every flavor is coated in a honey brandy feeling. Pineapple, mango, and peach form a fresh fruit jam. It keeps the sweet-sour of fresh fruit and the refreshment of juice, but richer and sweeter.

Origin: Ninety Plus Panama Geisha Estate.

Harvest season: 2013-2014.

Variety: Geisha.

Level: 195.

Altitude: 1250m-1650m.

Processing method: Ninety Plus patented "Ruby processing."

Flavor: after Ruby processing it has strong brandy and honey tropical fruit flavors. Mango, pineapple, and other tropical fruits become bold and wild, while banana, red grape, honey, and peach take on a hint of wine.

Sillvia Solkiln N2

Name origin: Sillvia is the result of our first use of the Solkiln method in 2012 to process coffee from plot 11 of the Geisha estate. All the coffee from that plot was processed at once, but only 25 kilograms with special flavors were successfully obtained. In 2013 we learned that Geisha cherries harvested late in the season absorbed more fruit flavors during Solkiln processing, because the extended processing time produced stronger fruit flavors. The "sill" in "Sillvia" references the farm's location, Silla Del Pando (the Silla Del Pando volcanic complex in Panama's volcano region), while "via" means channel or method.

Origin: Ninety Plus Panama Geisha Estate.

Variety: Geisha.

Level: 95.

Altitude: 1250m-1650m.

Processing method: Ninety Plus patented Solkiln natural process—extending drying time while controlling temperature and humidity with special equipment in a house, enhancing flavor while keeping a washed-like cleanliness.

Flavor: noticeable juicy mouthfeel, rich with strong tropical fruit and pineapple cake flavors, with a lasting aftertaste.

Lycello W2

Name origin: in 2013, World Barista Championship Taiwan champion Chien Chia-cheng visited 90+'s Geisha estate. After tasting the Geisha cherries he was reminded of lychees growing in his backyard. Ninety Plus took the first two letters "LY" from "Lychee" as the first component of the name. While listening to a performance by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, we were struck by his superb skill, so we took "cell" from "cello" as the second component and the "o" from Yo-Yo Ma's name as the third—hence "Lycello."

Origin: Ninety Plus Panama Geisha Estate.

Variety: Heirloom.

Level: 21.

Altitude: 1250m-1650m.

Processing method: Washed.

Flavor: beyond Geisha's inherent profile, it shows rich green tea/musk and herbal basil aromas, with soft lemon on the palate, a lychee-like sweet-sour mouthfeel, and cashew-like nutty flavors.

Ninety Plus Drima Zede

Name origin: Drima Zede (Zhu Mang, the name of this Yirgacheffe coffee) means "Best Approach" in the local language. According to the producer, this Yirgacheffe is a specialized series developed from 90+'s years of experience. The ancient natural processing method makes pure flavors hard to obtain, but Drima Zede, with 90+ technical support, involves hand-selecting only the most mature cherries, with natural drying that requires diligent, constant stirring for uniformity. The result is a very transparent, pure mouthfeel with significant change from hot to cold and fascinating fruit, floral, and oak barrel aromas.

Origin: Ninety Plus Ethiopia, SNNP, Sidama region.

Altitude: 1750m-2000m.

Processing method: Natural process.

Flavor: nectarine, tropical fruits, cream, cinnamon.

Ninety Plus Danch Meng

Name origin: Danch Meng is the sub-brand Level Up of the NINETY PLUS company, an Ethiopian green bean jointly launched with green bean trader Bodhi Leaf in 2013. Danch Meng translates locally as "Perfect approach," grown by small farmers from Yirgacheffe's Goldina Abaya Dumenso region. Backed by NINETY PLUS's professional flavor processing, Danch Meng shows very unique Yirgacheffe flavors thanks to 90+ natural processing technology.

Origin: Ninety Plus Ethiopia, SNNP, Kambata region.

Altitude: 1700m-2000m.

Processing method: Natural process.

Flavor: cocoa, black raspberry, plum, juicy, floral aroma, blueberry, dark chocolate.

DerarEla (Dreamer)

Flavor: more intense aromatic quality, rich tropical fruit, lime aroma, and a unique chamomile fragrance.

Faya Deraro

Flavor: blueberry, strawberry biscuit, cherry, white wine, raspberry.

Nitsu Ruz

Flavor: floral, lemon peel, lychee, plum, kumquat, black tea.

90+ Coffee Bean Recommendation

The 90+ coffee "Zhu Mang" roasted by FrontStreet Coffee is fully guaranteed on both brand and quality. More importantly, it offers exceptional value: a half-pound (227 grams) package costs only about 90 yuan. At 15 grams per cup, one package makes 15 cups, so each cup costs only about 6 yuan. Compared with cafe prices that often exceed 100 yuan a cup, that is a genuinely honest recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the 90+ world of rare varieties and heirloom Ethiopian coffee appeals to you, two FrontStreet beans make an excellent starting point.

FrontStreet Panama Boquete Washed Geisha is an entry-level Geisha from Panama's most representative specialty region. With pure varietal genetics and washed processing, it clearly delivers the hallmark orange-blossom honey character of Geisha, along with the delicate fruit acidity of oolong tea and distinctly separated layers. Because it offers such strong value, it lets you explore the many faces of Panama Geisha through a wide range of brewing methods. For most newcomers, an entry-level Geisha like this is a smarter first purchase than leaping straight to the luxury-tier estates.

FrontStreet Ethiopia Natural Huakui comes from the Hambela area of Guji, Sidamo, where the 200-hectare farm uses traditional natural processing. Fully ripe cherries are sun-dried on raised beds for 21 days, turned regularly for even drying, and hand-sorted for defects every three to five days. After the skin dries and hardens, a huller removes it, and a final round of sorting follows. Because the fruit and skin stay in contact throughout drying, medium-light roasting yields a light fermented wine aroma, florals, citrus, and mango, with a dense, complex cup of honeyed sweetness, cocoa, a hint of spice, a full body, and a long finish.