What Are Ninety Plus' Patented Processing Methods? The Flavor Characteristics of Ninety Plus' Patented Processing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee Briefly Describes the Ninety Plus Patent Processing Method

FrontStreet Coffee shares professional coffee knowledge and coffee bean information for everyone curious about the world's most distinctive coffees.

Joseph Brodsky, the founder of Ninety Plus, observed that the world's finest coffee beans all trace back to Ethiopia. All of Ninety Plus's raw beans come from original Ethiopian varieties - even the Geisha grown on Panamanian estates was transplanted from Ethiopia. "Ninety Plus" is a series of 13 top-tier flavored coffees, and thanks to the company's remarkable results in international coffee competitions over the years, its near-perfect taste experience has become inseparable from the name.

Ninety Plus Processing Methods

SK Processing Method (Solar Kiln)

SK is a honey processing method that extends drying time by controlling temperature and humidity inside a facility equipped with solar drying systems. The result keeps the cleanliness of a washed coffee while intensifying flavor, letting the beans develop deep sweetness and distinct fruit notes in the cup.

Red Outlook (Perci Red)

Red Outlook approaches - and in some ways surpasses - natural processing. The Ninety Plus team applies its proprietary drying technology to this special method, which causes the beans in their parchment to take on different shades of red. The approach further heightens the coffee's aromatic character, delivering pronounced sweetness and clear fruit flavors on the palate.

Outlook Ruby (Perci Ruby)

The so-called "Ruby" process is an even more difficult, more extreme form of red processing. It pushes the sweetness and fruitiness of red processing to the very edge - go a step too far, and undesirable fermentation flavors take over. The method demands extensive manual selection: every single green bean must meet the "Ruby" standard to earn the name. Through multiple rounds of elimination, only a small fraction of the coffee ultimately qualifies.

Ninety Plus Grading System

Ninety Plus pairs its processing methods with a grading system known as "levels," represented as follows:

Level 7: Single-origin harvest. Rare varieties with delicate flavors and special characteristics are hand-selected, then processed through Ninety Plus's unique methods to a standard exceeding "Ninety Plus" itself;

Level 12: Single-origin harvest. Beans of this grade are unforgettable for any coffee professional - Hachila is a perfect representative;

Level 21 (L21) and Level 39 (L39): These are mostly Gesha varieties cultivated by Ninety Plus on its Panamanian estates. The specially Red-processed Ethiopian Nekisse Red also belongs to Level 39 (L39);

Level 95 (L95) and Level 195: These come from premium microenvironments on the Panamanian estates, put through lengthy selection under the patented drying technology to reach the highest taste standards in the company's design. Most are processed under founder Joseph's personal supervision, and annual output may only reach ten to several tens of kilograms - a collectible category of coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Panama made Geisha famous and Ethiopia gave it birth, and both deserve a place on your brewing table. For the Panama side, FrontStreet offers Hacienda La Esmeralda's two lines: the Red Label "Esmeralda Special," grown at 1,600-1,800 meters and cupping above 90 points with fully traceable single-plot batches, and the more affordable Green Label "Private Collection," a blend across plots that expresses the estate's signature high-altitude gesha character. For a first taste at an entry price, the Panama Boquete Gesha delivers the classic orange-honey sweetness, oolong-tea texture, and layered fruit acidity.

On the Ethiopian side, FrontStreet's Genlana Estate Gesha is the beginner's pick: a medium-light roast keeps pleasant white florals while highlighting the sweet-tart lift of orange, guava, and citrus with a clean finish. More advanced drinkers should try Gesha Village's Gold Label and Red Label - a rare large estate beside the original gesha forest, whose standardized management produces superbly consistent cups.

However you buy, brew gesha gently: it is a medium-light, floral-fruity coffee with a dense bean that sinks and clogs easily, so grind to about a fine-sugar texture (78% passing a #20 sieve), use 91 degree C water, 15 g of coffee on a Hario V60 at a 1:16 ratio, and a three-pour schedule - 30 g bloom for 30 seconds, then to 125 g, then to 225 g, finishing between 2:10 and 2:20.