How Many Classifications Are There for Gesha Coffee Beans? What Do the Different Grades Like Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label Mean?

For those who frequently drink coffee, FrontStreet Coffee believes you must be familiar with the term "Geisha coffee." As Geisha coffee becomes increasingly renowned, many coffee enthusiasts wish to understand its grade classifications. This article by FrontStreet Coffee will help organize this information for you.

The Origin of Geisha

In 1931, the Geisha variety was discovered by a group of botanists during an expedition in southwestern Ethiopia. The trees were notably tall, and their fruit seeds were larger than typical Ethiopian coffee beans, so the seeds were taken to a laboratory in Kenya for cultivation. After five years, fruit samples were obtained and then taken to Uganda and Tanzania for research. In 1953, Costa Rican research institutions introduced the variety from Tanzania.

By 1963, Panama was seeking to revitalize its coffee industry and introduced more coffee varieties from various regions. The former owner of Don Pachi Estate, Pachi Serracin, brought back the Geisha variety from Costa Rica, and Geisha coffee began to take root in Panama. It wasn't until 2000 that Daniel Peterson, the third-generation owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda, discovered Geisha's uniqueness and transplanted it to higher altitudes for cultivation. In 2004, the high-altitude Geisha finally achieved mass production. Hacienda La Esmeralda entered it in that year's Best of Panama (BOP) competition, where it won first place and gained widespread acclaim. The elegant aromas of jasmine, peach, and bergamot with rich layers left an unforgettable impression on countless coffee enthusiasts.

Next, we'll explore from two perspectives: Geisha's place of origin and its rise to fame, to understand different grades of high-quality Geisha coffee.

Ethiopia - Geisha Village

Documentary filmmaker Adam Overton and his wife Rachel Samuel first encountered the coffee forest where Geisha was discovered in 2007 while filming a coffee documentary for the Ethiopian government. The couple was captivated by Ethiopian coffee's charm and hoped to establish their own estate. After consulting with judges and consultants in the coffee industry, they traveled in 2011 to Geisha's birthplace, the Bench Maji region, hoping to explore the most original Geisha coffee.

Adam, following BOP judge Willem Boot, searched for native Geisha trees in the Gori Gesha forest. Among wild coffee trees, they discovered wild Geisha coffee trees. After collecting seeds, they returned to Geisha Village for screening and began cultivation. The couple established the nearly 500-hectare Geisha Village Coffee Estate near the Gori Gesha forest.

Most coffee cultivation in Ethiopia is done by small-scale farmers, with relatively small coffee production and bean processing facilities. However, Geisha Village Estate is a large-scale farm. Adam and Rachel built their own washed processing plant and laboratory, growing only Geisha varieties within the estate. After referencing standardized cultivation methods from some Geisha-growing estates in Panama, the couple numbered different planting plots and kept detailed records for later organization and flavor tracing.

Through the estate owner's plot division, we can see that the western part of Geisha Village Estate has higher cultivation altitudes, especially the OMA, SURMA, and SHEWA-JIBABU plots, with altitudes between 1900-2069 meters, with SHEWA-JIBABU having the highest average altitude. The southern part of the estate has relatively higher shade proportions, while the northern side receives longer sunlight exposure. Among the estate's eight plots, Adam selected the most suitable varieties for each plot based on microclimate differences such as altitude, soil conditions, and shade, ensuring each plot could develop different flavor characteristics.

To ensure the quality of Geisha coffee produced by Geisha Village Estate, Adam established a strict grading system, dividing Geisha into different levels: Auction, Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, and CHAKA.

Geisha Village Auction

The Geisha Village auction lots represent the highest grade batches, obtainable only through buyer bidding. Geisha Village auction Geisha accounts for only 3.7% of the annual production. These Geisha coffee batches undergo multiple strict screenings.

Geisha Village Gold Label

Geisha Village Gold Label Geisha is frequently purchased by competition participants worldwide and quality-focused roasters. It accounts for about 10% of the estate's annual production and comes with detailed traceability information, allowing buyers to query specific plot and bean processing details of their purchased Geisha. FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Label batch Geisha offers complex and rich flavors. During cupping, one can experience the charm of this Geisha coffee batch - from the unique dry aroma to the sipping flavors and mouthfeel aftertaste, all leaving a lasting impression.

FrontStreet Coffee: Geisha Village Estate Gold Label Geisha
Region: Bench Maji, Ethiopia
Estate: Geisha Village Estate Oma Plot
Altitude: 1900-2040 meters
Variety: Geisha 1931
Processing: Natural Process
Flavors: Citrus, Berries, Cream, Caramel, Melon, Honey

Geisha Village Red Label

Geisha Village Red Label also comes with complete traceability information, accounting for 15% of total annual production. These are premium Geisha coffees that score above 88 points according to SCA cupping standards. Although the flavor intensity and complexity may not match Gold Label and Auction batches, Red Label offers classic Geisha Village flavors. FrontStreet Coffee considers this a Geisha batch with excellent value for money, worthy of purchase by Geisha enthusiasts.

FrontStreet Coffee: Geisha Village Estate Red Label Geisha
Region: Bench Maji, Ethiopia
Estate: Geisha Village Estate Shewa-Jibabu Plot
Altitude: 1973-2069 meters
Variety: Gori Gesha
Processing: Natural Process
Flavors: Lemon, Plum, Citrus, Tropical Fruits, Floral Tea

Geisha Village Green Label

Geisha Village Green Label batches refer to single-plot and single-variety batches. Green Label batches provide complete traceability information for each batch number, including farm plot name, coffee variety, and processing date. Compared to Red Label and Gold Label batches, Green Label doesn't have cupping score requirements, making it an entry-level single-plot Geisha batch.

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Geisha Village Estate Green Label Geisha
Region: Bench Maji, Ethiopia
Estate: Geisha Village Estate Bangi Plot
Altitude: 1911-2001 meters
Variety: Gori Gesha
Processing: Natural Process

Geisha Village CHAKA

Unlike other batches from Geisha Village Estate, CHAKA blends Geisha coffee beans from all plots and throughout the entire production season, including the three Geisha varieties grown at Geisha Village: Geisha 1931, Gori Gesha, and Illubabor.

Panama - Hacienda La Esmeralda

If you're a Geisha coffee enthusiast, you must know Geisha's discoverer - Hacienda La Esmeralda.

Hacienda La Esmeralda is located in Panama's Boquete region. Blessed by the local microclimate and fertile volcanic soil, the significant temperature difference between day and night at appropriate high altitudes allows coffee cherries to mature slowly, absorbing more nutrients, thus forming Geisha coffee's rich jasmine aroma and high-quality complex fruit flavors. Hacienda La Esmeralda has three estates: El Velo, Cañas Verdes, and Jaramillo.

After winning the 2004 BOP championship, Hacienda La Esmeralda became even more attentive to Geisha coffee cultivation and management. The third-generation owners, Daniel and Rachel, adopted strict grading planning to elevate the Geisha coffee brand to premium status. Hacienda La Esmeralda developed its own marketing strategy, dividing Geisha into five major brands based on cupping flavor performance, cultivated varieties, and plots, with Geisha accounting for three: Esmeralda Special, Private Collection, and Geisha 1500 - which correspond to the Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label on FrontStreet Coffee's menu.

Esmeralda Auction

In 2022, Hacienda La Esmeralda separated Esmeralda Auction as an independent brand from the Red Label batches, mainly for buyer bidding. Hacienda La Esmeralda's independent auction is a highly anticipated coffee auction in the specialty coffee circle each year, with the final highest bidding price becoming one of the annual topics among Geisha enthusiasts.

Esmeralda Red Label

Besides the exceptional auction batches, Esmeralda Red Label is Hacienda La Esmeralda's highest quality Geisha brand, also known as Esmeralda Special. Esmeralda Red Label consists of Geisha coffee grown at altitudes between 1600-1800 meters with cupping scores exceeding 90 points, representing Hacienda La Esmeralda's highest quality Geisha beans. Selected from plots in Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes, typically processed using natural or washed methods, the flavors generally feature rich floral aromas and diverse complex fruit acidity and sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee: Red Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Boquete Region
Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda Cañas Verdes
Altitude: 1700+ meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Natural Process
Flavors: Lemon, Honey, Berries, Orange Peel, Mango, Cream

Esmeralda Green Label

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Green Label Geisha, also known as Private Collection, doesn't participate in independent competitions. The cultivation plots and altitudes are the same as Red Label, but specific plots aren't emphasized, so we find that Green Label blends Geisha from multiple plots of Hacienda La Esmeralda. Although not as attention-grabbing as Auction and Red Label, Green Label still carries classic Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha flavors, with washed processed Green Label Geisha having more transparent Geisha characteristics.

FrontStreet Coffee: Green Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Boquete Region
Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda Cañas Verdes
Altitude: 1700 meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Washed Process
Flavors: Jasmine, Ginger Flower, Sweet Orange, Lemon, Honey

Esmeralda Blue Label

Geisha 1500 is the Blue Label, consisting of Geisha coffee grown at 1400-1500 meter altitudes, harvested from different plots across Hacienda La Esmeralda's three sub-estates. Geisha from this region is exported and sold as Volcanic Geisha coffee beans, with flavors identical to the original Blue Label. Currently, the Blue Label brand has been discontinued by Hacienda La Esmeralda, and this batch of Geisha is exported and sold as Volcanic Geisha coffee beans. Volcanic Rock flavors feature light floral notes, fruit acidity and sweetness, with a mouthfeel less full than the other two brands.

FrontStreet Coffee: Panama Volcanic Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Boquete Region, Panama
Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
Altitude: 1500 meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Washed Process
Flavors: Citrus, Floral, Bergamot, Honey

How to Brew Great Geisha Coffee

After discussing various Geisha grades, it's time to talk about how to brew Geisha coffee well. Here, FrontStreet Coffee has selected the most popular Esmeralda Red Label Geisha and Geisha Village Red Label from our stores.

Pre-brewing preparation is crucial. Since these are high-quality coffee beans, to fully appreciate the complete aroma, FrontStreet Coffee suggests choosing freshly roasted coffee beans. All coffee has a period of optimal flavor, typically within 7-30 days after roasting. Only brewing during this time ensures these excellent coffees aren't wasted. Coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are roasted within 5 days, ensuring that customers receive the freshest beans when placing orders, perfectly timed for the optimal tasting period.

Ethiopian and Panamanian Geisha are grown in high-altitude environments, resulting in harder coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee's roasters typically use light to medium-light roasting for beans with floral and fruity characteristics to preserve more quality acidity. Light roasting doesn't significantly alter the internal structure of coffee beans, so FrontStreet Coffee's baristas use higher water temperatures and finer grinds to extract Geisha's aromas.

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 91-92°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Fine sugar size (80% passes through #20 sieve)
Three-Stage Extraction: First stage, use 30g of water for 30-second bloom, pouring in even circles to form a dome. Second stage, pour 95g of hot water. When the coffee bed drops to half, begin the third stage with 100g until all coffee drips through. Note to start pouring from the center point, using gentle water flow in small circles throughout to avoid uneven extraction.

Geisha Village Red Label's Gori Gesha offers notes of tropical fruits, bergamot, and lemon, with creamy sweetness and fermented undertones. As the temperature slightly cools, jasmine fragrance gradually emerges. Esmeralda Red Label Geisha immediately presents rich fruit characteristics upon entry, with delicate floral notes and gentle tea-like mouthfeel, finishing with berry sweetness and persistent aftertaste.

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