Panama Geisha Coffee Beans: Flavor Profile, Characteristics, and Story - Differences Between Green Top and Red Top Geisha

The Rise of Geisha Coffee

In the last century, the most notable coffees were undoubtedly Blue Mountain and Kona. During that era, people preferred full-bodied, rich coffee. Geisha coffee remained largely unnoticed during this time, quietly developing in Panama.

It wasn't until 2003, when Hacienda La Esmeralda submitted their Geisha coffee to the Best of Panama (BOP) competition, that the Geisha variety began to shine on the world stage. At the 2004 BOP competition, Hacienda La Esmeralda won the championship with their Geisha coffee and broke the auction price record for green coffee beans. Geisha coffee and Hacienda La Esmeralda instantly rose to fame. Due to the truly enticing and distinctive flavors of Panamanian Geisha coffee compared to other coffee varieties, the BOP competition had to divide the green coffee competition into two groups: the Geisha category and the non-Geisha category, fearing that Geisha would steal the spotlight from all other varieties.

The Origins and Journey of Geisha

The Geisha variety was first discovered and harvested in the 1930s in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia. It was later transferred to several coffee research stations in Africa but didn't gain prominence there due to its ordinary flavor profile. In the 1950s, it was introduced to CATIE in Costa Rica and named T2722. In the 1960s, it was distributed to Panama for cultivation, but due to low yields and fragile plant characteristics, farmers didn't invest much effort in this variety, treating it as windbreak trees. After more than forty years, the Peterson family of Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered and developed the potential of Geisha, and since then, Geisha has been the rising star.

Geisha coffee is particularly demanding of its growing environment, requiring high altitude, cloud and shade cover, fertile soil, and sufficient accumulated temperature. It is precisely this unique environment and climate that cultivates the king of coffees. Notably, those with deep understanding of the Geisha coffee variety have observed two types: bronze-tipped Geisha and green-tipped Geisha. Most Geisha coffee varieties grown in South and Central America may indeed trace their lineage back to the aforementioned T2722 variety. Each coffee farm's growing conditions are different, and cross-pollination or trading Geisha seeds from other coffee plantations may occur.

In the book "God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee," Price Peterson from the Peterson family even acknowledges the possibility that the Geisha variety at Hacienda La Esmeralda might be different from the T2722 variety. He explained: "Early botanical descriptions indicated that the Gesha cultivar had bronze-colored young leaves, inferior cupping performance, and considerable fungal resistance. In contrast, Panamanian Geisha has light green leaf buds, excellent cupping flavors, and resistance to leaf rust, though not to the coffee leaf spot disease (Ojo de Gallo) that most worries coffee farmers in Central and South America."

FrontStreet Coffee currently sources Panamanian Geisha coffee beans from two estates: the well-known Hacienda La Esmeralda and the rising star of recent years, Deborah Estate.

Hacienda La Esmeralda

Hacienda La Esmeralda is both the discoverer and promoter of Geisha coffee flavors. Since rising to fame in 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda has maintained consistent quality in their Geisha coffee. Today, Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee is divided into two grades: Red Label and Green Label. Both grades of Geisha coffee beans are harvested from red Geisha coffee cherries grown at altitudes above 1600 meters. The only difference is that Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red Label Geisha can be traced to specific plots; the Green Label consists of micro-lots mixed from different plots that cannot be traced to specific locations.

The flavor profile of Hacienda La Esmeralda's Green Label Geisha is sometimes very similar to the Red Label, sometimes with noticeable differences, offering the excitement of a lottery-like experience. FrontStreet Coffee's Green Label Geisha also features intense and fresh jasmine and ginger flower aromas, bright citrus acidity, and full, rich juice-like body. FrontStreet Coffee considers the Green Label Geisha to be the most cost-effective Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda.

FrontStreet Coffee: Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Boquete, Panama
Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
Altitude: 1600-1800 meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing Method: Washed

Deborah Estate

This estate began planning and construction in 2007, planted Geisha coffee trees at 1900 meters in 2010, began small-scale harvests in 2015, and officially commenced commercial harvests in 2016. Deborah Estate is located in the Volcán coffee region of Panama, situated at altitudes above 1900 meters near Barú Volcano. This area features dense primary forests, large day-night temperature variations, pervasive mist, abundant rainfall, and rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, making it one of the highest and most remote coffee plantations in Panama.

The Geisha coffee variety not only survives in such harsh environments but thrives, displaying rich, intense flavors and superior quality.

The Savage Series Geisha that FrontStreet Coffee sources is acquired by Deborah Estate's owner through the Savage Coffee Project, purchasing equally high-quality, high-altitude (2000-2350 meters) Geisha coffee cherries from nearby farmers, then processing them using Deborah Estate's post-harvest processing techniques.

FrontStreet Coffee: Deborah Estate Savage Series Geisha
Origin: Volcán, Panama
Estate: Deborah Estate
Owner: Jamison Savage
Altitude: 2000-2350 meters
Variety: Geisha
Grade: SHB
Processing Method: Anaerobic Natural

High-altitude grown Geisha coffee is naturally sweet and sour with rich flavors. This particular Savage Series Geisha is specially processed using anaerobic fermentation natural method, where coffee cherries are sun-dried in greenhouses until they become raisin-like, then placed in sealed containers with oxygen removed for 36 hours of dry fermentation, and finally depulped while retaining 100% of the fruit pulp for fermentation processing. After such elaborate and refined processing, FrontStreet Coffee's Savage Series Geisha coffee exhibits extremely sweet and fruity flavors, with prominent fresh fruit and floral aromas.

Due to Panamanian Geisha coffee's excellent floral and fruit aromas and acidity, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters use light roasting. For brewing, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using higher water temperature, medium-fine grind size, and a fast-draining dripper. Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee recommends a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:16, which helps to better experience Geisha's layered complexity and flavors.

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 92°C
Coffee Dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 80% retention through Chinese standard #20 sieve

FrontStreet Coffee uses a three-stage pouring method for brewing: pour 30 grams of water to fully saturate the coffee grounds and bloom for 30 seconds, then slowly pour in a small circular motion for the second stage to 130 grams, and when the water level in the dripper drops to just above the coffee bed, continue pouring to 240 grams. Wait until all water has dripped into the server below, then remove the dripper. Total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

[Washed Green Label] Rich jasmine floral aroma, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juicy body, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, with rich layered flavors and a persistent floral and citrus aftertaste.

[Savage Geisha] Distinct white floral aroma, pineapple-like, fermented dairy drink sweetness and acidity, full body, overall clean and balanced.

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