Jansen Geisha vs Bolivia Java: Differences in Flavor Characteristics and Stories

When it comes to Geisha, FrontStreet Coffee usually thinks of the unique floral and fruit aroma of this coffee variety. It is precisely because of this that it has been pursued by many people. Recently, we acquired a variety that is said to be a cousin of Geisha—the Java variety. So the question arises: how much difference is there between these two?

Geisha

In 1931, Geisha was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia and later sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania; in 1953, it was introduced to Costa Rica.

For a long time, not many people paid attention to Geisha. Until one day, Don Pachi initially brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica, and then Geisha traveled along the southern route to Panama. Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship, which officially brought Geisha into everyone's spotlight.

Geisha coffee is particularly picky about its growing environment, requiring high altitude, cloud and shade protection, fertile soil, and sufficient accumulated temperature.

Java

Locally known as the long-shaped bean variety in Bolivia, it gets its name from its elongated bean shape. Its official name should be Java. Java is a very interesting coffee variety; its name strongly suggests a connection with Indonesia. But in fact, Java was originally a coffee tree species that grew in the primitive forests of Ethiopia, collected by local ethnic groups, and then transmitted to Indonesia through Yemen, where it was named Java. Originally, it was widely believed that Java was a branch of Typica, but after genetic comparison, it was discovered that Java is actually the Ethiopian coffee variety Abysinia.

After Indonesia, Java first spread to the nearby Timor island group, and then to Cameroon in East Africa, where it was first released for farmers to cultivate in 1980. As for its introduction to Central and South America, it was under the leadership of breeding expert Benoit Bertrand that it was introduced to Costa Rica in 1991 through CIRAD (the Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement). The first Central American country to officially recognize the Java variety was Panama. As for its introduction to Bolivia, it came through Nicaragua.

Today, let's compare two varieties: FrontStreet Coffee's Jenson Estate Geisha from Panama and FrontStreet Coffee's Java from Bolivia. Both are natural processed.

Natural Process

The harvested coffee fruits are poured into large water tanks, where mature and full fruits will sink to the bottom, while floating beans are removed. The entire coffee fruits with flesh, skin, and seeds are placed on elevated beds for sun drying, constantly turned until the moisture content reaches about 12%, which takes about two to four weeks. Finally, a hulling machine removes the hard dried fruit skin, pulp, and parchment layer, revealing the green beans.

Green Bean Comparison

Looking at the green beans, the Bolivia Java variety is relatively slender and pointed at both ends; while the Jenson Geisha green beans are slightly shorter and more rounded.

Roasting Comparison

Jenson Geisha

Yellowing point at 5 minutes, first crack began at 8:50 seconds at 184.3°C, developed for 1:30 seconds and discharged at 195°C.

Agtron bean color value 77.8 (above image), Agtron ground color value 93.7 (below image), Roast Delta value is 11.9.

Bolivia Java

Yellowing point at 5 minutes, first crack began at 8:37 seconds at 181.8°C, developed for 1:30 seconds and discharged at 190.5°C.

Agtron bean color value 63.8 (above image), Agtron ground color value 81.8 (below image), Roast Delta value is 18.

Flavor Comparison

Cupping

Jenson Geisha: Dry aroma has fermented scent of ripe fruits, maple sugar, lemon, citrus, apple, rose, dark chocolate, fruit aroma, pomegranate, ripe grapes, peach, and dark berry flavors, multi-layered sweet and sour.

Bolivia Java: Dry aroma has hazelnut fragrance. First sip reveals cream, hazelnut, almond sweetness, and citrus and tropical fruit sweet and sour notes, with fermented wine aroma.

Pour Over

Parameters: V60/1:15/90°C/Grind size: fine sugar (Chinese standard 20 mesh sieve 80% pass rate)/Brewing time (starting from bloom): two minutes

Jenson Geisha: Carries fermented aroma of ripe fruits, first sip has tropical fruit and berry sweet and sour sensations, maple sugar sweetness is obvious, aftertaste has some cocoa, grape, and rose tea aroma.

Bolivia Java: First sip has obvious citrus, lime, hawthorn sweet and sour sensations, with some fruit chocolate and vanilla cream aftertaste. As temperature drops, sweet orange acidity emerges. When cooled, it has light maple sugar sweetness and jasmine tea, rose tea aftertaste, with lasting sugarcane sweetness.

Conclusion

FrontStreet Coffee's Jenson Geisha is cleaner in flavor and mouthfeel, while FrontStreet Coffee's Bolivia Java has richer layers.

Actually, the Java variety really surprised FrontStreet Coffee~ After all, it's rare to see a coffee variety that doesn't lose to Geisha in terms of flavor and aroma.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473