Brewing Recommendations for Costa Rica Black Pearl Geisha: Flavor Characteristics and Story of Black Pearl Geisha Coffee Beans

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Estate Story Introduction

Dona Francisca and Don Oscar Chacon are the third-generation family operators of the Las Lajas micromill. They inherited the coffee farm from their grandparents and are renowned as among the first coffee farmers in Central America to produce high-quality honey-processed and natural-processed coffees. They began participating in the Cup of Excellence (COE) in 2009.

Las Lajas is an organic processing mill located in Sabanilla, in the central valley region of Costa Rica. Organic coffee beans are rarely produced in Costa Rica, and this estate's high-quality coffee makes it truly distinctive. Las Lajas Farm adheres to environmental protection principles and therefore uses organic cultivation methods. All coffee processed at Las Lajas comes from their own farm, with each batch being traceable to its source, and daily batch processing is performed. Water usage is very minimal because they use non-washed processing methods. During the harvest season, Francisca measures the sugar content (Brix) of coffee cherries to determine the optimal harvest time. The highest sugar content measured has reached 21-22%.

Las Lajas Estate was among the first in Central America to implement honey processing and natural processing methods. Natural processing is a very traditional method that uses minimal resources, but due to too many uncontrollable factors, achieving excellent results is extremely difficult. Las Lajas has incorporated many innovations, such as Francisca using a Brix meter, commonly equipped in the wine industry, to measure the sugar content of the fruit. Based on Brix sugar content, they determine the optimal harvest timing and processing method. Only cherries with sugar content exceeding 20% are processed using the natural method. Typical Brix values for fruits: apples 14%, lemons 12%, passion fruit 18%, but Las Lajas coffee cherries can reach 21-22%!

Among the coffees processed at Las Lajas Estate, the estate owners classify honey-processed and natural-processed coffees into various different grades based on flavor profiles. For honey processing, most Costa Rican coffee farmers control the amount of retained pulp using the depulpers at washing stations. However, Las Lajas Estate decided to adopt another approach—retaining 100% of the pulp but controlling the drying time and turning frequency on African raised beds to present different coffee flavor characteristics. In honey processing, the estate divides coffee into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey.

Las Lajas not only produces natural and honey-processed coffees but also washed coffees. The varieties planted on the farm include Catuai, Catuai, Villa Sarchi, and they have also introduced small quantities of Kenya varieties such as SL28 and Obata. Although the estate's altitude is not very high, approximately 1300-1500 meters, their unique processing methods give Las Lajas a distinctive flavor profile.

Geisha Coffee Variety Introduction

The coffee variety "Geisha" (also known as Gesha) is an original variety within the Arabica species. It is extremely difficult to cultivate, with yields being half that of other coffee beans. It is a coffee bean of high rarity value.

1931: A group of botanists conducted an expedition to southwestern Ethiopia, discovering the Geisha variety near the village of Geisha. They brought Geisha seeds to Kenya, where they were cultivated in nurseries.

1936: Geisha seeds were introduced to Uganda and Tanzania.

1953: The Costa Rican research institution CATIE obtained some Geisha seeds from Tanzania for research purposes.

1960: Pachi Serracin, the former owner of Panama's Don Pachi Estate, brought Geisha coffee beans from Costa Rica to Panama.

2004: At the Best of Panama (BOP) competition, Hacienda La Esmeralda made a spectacular impression with Geisha, winning first place that year. For the decade that followed, whenever they participated, they won major awards.

2007: At the International Coffee Tasting Championship organized by the American Specialty Coffee Association (SCAA), Geisha once again took first place, with a bidding price of $130 per pound, setting a record for the highest price ever for competition beans.

2008: Hacienda La Esmeralda held its own independent auction (they did not participate in BOP that year).

2012: The Best of Panama (BOP) competition was divided into traditional, Geisha, and natural categories to prevent Geisha from dominating all categories.

2014: The Best of Panama (BOP) competition was further subdivided into Geisha Natural, Geisha Washed, Traditional Natural, and Traditional Washed categories, because Geisha continued to dominate the natural category.

2015: The Best of Panama (BOP) competition was divided into Winner Natural, Winner Washed, Traditional Natural, and Traditional Washed categories, allowing another excellent variety, Pacamara, to join the competition, but the results were disappointing, with only one batch out of 32 making it to the finals.

Best of Panama Auction Prices History

2005: Best of Panama (BOP) competition: $20.10 (first batch)

2006: Best of Panama (BOP) competition: $50.25 (first batch)

2007: Best of Panama (BOP) competition: $130 (first batch)

2008: La Esmeralda auction: $105.25

2009: La Esmeralda auction: $117

2010: Best of Panama (BOP) competition: $170

2011: Best of Panama (BOP) competition: $75.25 (first place in washed category), with the natural category won by Don Pachi Geisha ($111.50)

2012: La Esmeralda auction: $66 (did not participate in BOP that year)

2013: Best of Panama (BOP) competition: $350 (first place in natural Geisha category, won by Japan)

2014: La Esmeralda auction: $105.50 (this batch had prominent nose notes last year)

2015: La Esmeralda auction: $131 (third natural batch) / $122.01 (first natural batch)

Best of Panama (BOP) competition: $140.01 (natural Geisha champion)

Black Pearl Processing Method Introduction

Black Pearl (Perla Negra): Harvested coffee cherries are placed on African raised beds in the early morning and regularly turned for sun-drying until reaching 11.5% moisture content. The entire process takes approximately two weeks.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Coffee Roasting Suggestions/Analysis

Costa Rican Geisha coffee, as the most outstanding variety among numerous coffee cultivars, is greatly loved by coffee enthusiasts. Among these, washed-processed Geisha best highlights the inherent flavor characteristics of the variety. What makes Geisha special is its very distinct and clear floral and citrus flavors, extremely high clarity, soft and elegant acidity, persistent cotton-like sweetness, and the mouthfeel of premium black tea.

To fully reveal the characteristics of this Costa Rican Geisha coffee bean, considerable effort must be put into the roasting process. Geisha is generally grown at high altitudes above 1500 meters, resulting in high-hardness, high-density beans. They have a full form, medium particle size, thick and elongated beans with tapered ends.

How to Express Costa Rican Geisha Coffee's Unique Flavor Through Roasting

The roasting approach considers that due to the beans' high hardness and density, the initial stage uses high heat for dehydration and quickly establishes a temperature difference between the bean surface and core. To preserve more floral notes, the Maillard reaction time needs to be relatively short, so after yellowing, the heat is adjusted to medium-high to quickly bring the beans into first crack. Shortening the time from yellowing to the start of first crack also increases clarity. If the temperature rises too quickly after first crack, it will intensify caramelization, masking the floral and fruit aromas. Therefore, when approaching first crack, the heat is significantly reduced to slow the temperature rise, and the airflow is fully opened at the start of first crack. The beans are dropped when the first crack intensifies and concludes, allowing the core to develop fully while retaining maximum aroma and sugar content.

Cupping Flavor Description

Flavor description: Floral, plum, grape juice-like qualities, with delicate and rich layers, full and substantial body.

Brewing Analysis

Today, FrontStreet Coffee introduces a commonly used pour-over method for Geisha coffee: Three-Stage Pouring

Three-Stage Pouring Method

Segmented extraction, dividing the total water into three stages of pouring

Suitable for light roast, medium-light roast, and medium roast coffee beans

Uses Kalita wave filter (cake cup)

Increase bloom time or number of pour interruptions to enhance coffee richness and body

Three-Stage Pouring Segmented Extraction Method

Advantages: More layered than single continuous pour, clearly revealing the front, middle, and back flavor notes. The method involves increasing water volume after each bloom, typically pouring when the coffee level drops to the surface of the coffee bed, using small, medium, and large water flows for three-stage extraction.

Disadvantages: Requires higher standards for water flow rate and volume control.

FrontStreet Coffee's [Geisha Coffee Pour-Over Parameter Recommendations]

The cake cup uses immersion extraction, increasing the contact surface area between coffee grounds and water. Compared to V60 brewing, this can enhance texture, resulting in a more viscous mouthfeel.

15g coffee, water temperature 91-92°C, grind BG 5R (Chinese standard 20-mesh screen pass rate 64%), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15-16

Technique: 27g water for bloom, bloom time 30s. The hot water in the pour-over kettle is poured in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the filter cone. Start timing when brewing begins, pour to 27g, then stop pouring and wait 30 seconds before the first pour.

For the first pour, use circular motions similar to the initial pour, but the speed can be slightly slower. When reaching the outer circle, increase speed slightly. Stop pouring around 1:15 seconds. When the liquid level drops by 1/3, pour again. The second pour should concentrate on the center, with the water flow avoiding the area where coffee grounds meet the filter paper to prevent channeling effects. End extraction around 2:05 seconds. The tail section can be omitted (the longer the time, the more astringency and rough texture will increase).

Segments: 30-125-230g

Important Notice :

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