Why is La Esperanza Colombian Geisha Pour-Over Coffee Expensive & How to Brew It Well

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Coffee Bean Profile

Country: Colombia

Region: Cauca Valley

Producer: La Esperanza Estate

Processing Method: Honey Process

Variety: Laurina (Bourbon Pointu)

Altitude: 1,510-1,710 meters

Other: Organic cultivation, Rainforest Alliance certified

La Esperanza Estate Story

La Esperanza Estate is undoubtedly one of Colombia's most prestigious estates. Its affiliated estates have won Best of Panama championships (2008) and runner-up (2009). In 2012, three of their products claimed an incredible 2nd, 3rd, and 7th place among the top ten in the SCAA Coffee of the Year. In the recently announced GFA (Good Food Award), La Esperanza Estate became the only award-winning estate outside Ethiopia, Kenya, and Panama regions.

La Esperanza Estate is located in the Huila region. The estate is not a personal or family-owned coffee farm but rather a collective of several coffee farmers who sell under the unified name of La Esperanza Estate. The estate is distributed in forests at altitudes of 1400-1650 meters, where coffee cherries are hand-harvested at complete maturity. The coffee farmers insist on maintaining excellent growing environments and diligently controlling the quality of green coffee beans. It was the champion estate in the 2007 Colombia Coffee Competition and also secured 9th, 12th, and 14th places in 2008 (different coffee growers). In November 2008, it received a high score of 93 points from American coffee master Kenneth Davids (author of Coffee Review and "Home Coffee Roasting" book), making it a top-tier Colombian estate.

Laurina (Bourbon Pointu) Coffee Variety Introduction

Bourbon Island became a French territory in 1664 and was named Bourbon to honor the achievements of the French Bourbon Dynasty. It was renamed Réunion Island (French: La Réunion) after the French Revolution in 1792.

In the 18th century, the French planted coffee on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, then known as 'Bourbon Island,' where the trees underwent mutation. Compared to typical Bourbon, Laurina has smaller leaves, smaller and more pointed coffee cherries, and a tree shape resembling a Christmas tree with a shallow form, hence earning the name Laurina (scientific name: Laurina).

In the 18th century, Laurina coffee was extremely precious, with very low yields but excellent flavor, commanding premium prices. It was deeply loved by European royalty. King Louis XV of the Bourbon Dynasty declared it the world's best coffee, attracting nobility and aristocrats who flocked to it, enjoying immense favor.

In the mid-19th century, several severe hurricanes and coffee tree diseases nearly destroyed the coffee cultivation industry. Laurina disappeared from the world coffee stage, becoming history and legend.

It wasn't until 1999 that Japanese coffee experts traveled to the island seeking traces of this coffee, but returned empty-handed. Later, local botanists on the island, after years of effort, finally found this unique wild mother tree, allowing this variety to be gradually cultivated and beginning its path to revival.

Not until the 20th century did scientists discover that Laurina's caffeine content is only half that of typical Arabica coffee.

P.S. Regular Arabica coffee contains about 1.2% caffeine, Robusta contains 2.2%, while Laurina contains only 0.6%, making it a natural low-caffeine coffee variety.

Honey Process Introduction

The honey process is a method between the natural and washed processes. First, the coffee pulp is screened out while retaining some pulp, followed by sun-drying.

The honey process mainly originated in Costa Rica in Central America and remains one of the most commonly used processing methods in Central America today. However, it requires a relatively long time and must be handled very carefully. The timing of sun-drying and turning must be well-managed to avoid producing defective coffee beans.

Roasting Suggestions/Analysis

Colombian coffee typically grows at altitudes of 1500-1700 meters, so this Laurina has relatively high density, moderate moisture content, and slightly hard bean texture. The thickness from the bean surface to the core of Laurina beans is relatively thin, making them unsuitable for roasting at too high temperatures, which would create burnt bitter flavors. We use a medium heat approach for bean loading, maintaining the heat through the dehydration stage, and making fine adjustments after the first crack begins as temperature increases to promote more complete caramelization. Maintaining entry into first crack between 8.5 to 9.5 minutes preserves more floral and fruit aromas while retaining clean and bright acidity. It's generally recommended to finish roasting between the dense phase of first crack and the end of first crack, achieving a light to medium roast.

Cupping Flavor Description

Flavor notes: Lemon, citrus, spices, grapes, juicy sensation, slight woody notes, malic acid and fruit-based acidity

Both dry aroma and wet fragrance have rich wine-like aromas.

Upon initial sip, beyond the wine aroma, there are notes of ripe fruits, fruit beer, and blended fruit tea aromas.

Mid to late notes develop the sweet and sour juicy sensations of tropical fruits like peach, passion fruit, papaya, and mango, with complex layers.

Brewing Analysis

Today we're introducing FrontStreet Coffee's commonly used pour-over method for Laurina coffee: V60 three-stage pouring method

Stage extraction, dividing all brewing water into three stages of injection

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

Using V60 dripper

Increasing bloom time or the number of pour interruptions can enhance the richness of coffee flavor.

Three-Stage Pouring Stage Extraction Method

Advantages: More layered than single continuous pour, can clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back flavor profiles of the coffee. The method involves increasing water volume after each bloom stage, typically pouring when the coffee liquid is about to drop to the powder layer surface, using small, medium, and large water flows for three-stage extraction.

Disadvantages: Requires higher demands on water flow rate and volume.

FrontStreet Coffee's Laurina Coffee Pour-Over Parameter Suggestions

Using a V60 dripper for brewing can enhance the layered complexity of pour-over flavors, making it richer and cleaner; it fully expresses Laurina variety's rich floral and fruit aromas with gentle fruit-based acidity.

15g coffee grounds, water temperature 89-90°C, grind BG 5R (China standard 20-mesh sieve pass rate 64%), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

Method: 30g 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 dripper. Start timing when brewing begins, pour water to 30g, then stop pouring and wait 30 seconds before the first pour.

For the first pour, circle similarly to before, but the speed can be slightly slower, accelerating a bit when reaching the outer circles, stopping water flow around 1:15 seconds. When the liquid level drops by 1/3, pour again. The second pour concentrates on the center, avoiding the connection between coffee grounds and 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).

Stages: 30-125-230g

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473