Introduction to Geisha Red Label, Blue Label, and Green Label Grading System and Ideal Pour-Over Coffee Ratios

Friends who frequently visit FrontStreet Coffee for Geisha coffee often wonder: what are the flavor differences between the Red Label and Green Label from Hacienda La Esmeralda? FrontStreet Coffee believes that to understand Geisha coffee, one should start with the renowned Hacienda La Esmeralda, which is not only the discoverer of Geisha's unique flavors but also a key promoter of Geisha coffee.

Boquete Growing Region of Panama

Panama is located in Central America, bordered by countries renowned for quality coffee production, with Costa Rica to the left and Colombia to the right.

Following the American-assisted construction of the Panama Canal in the late 20th century, increasing numbers of Americans moved to Panama seeking business opportunities. American elites like the owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda settled in Panama during this era.

Panama's mountain ranges run from east to west, with cold air currents converging through the central mountains at elevations above 6,500 meters. This creates a unique microclimate in the Boquete and Candela regions, featuring ideal temperatures for plant growth, fertile soil, and abundant rainfall—all favorable conditions for cultivating premium Geisha coffee.

Panama's coffee-growing areas occupy a relatively small region, primarily located in the western highlands bordering Costa Rica. The three main growing regions are: Boquete, Volcán, and Renacimiento. Hacienda La Esmeralda is located in Boquete, near the Barú volcano, whose rich volcanic soil provides abundant nutrients for coffee tree cultivation.

The Geisha Variety

FrontStreet Coffee understands that Geisha was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931. It was later sent to a coffee research institute in Kenya, during which time the Geisha variety was also introduced to Uganda and Tanzania. In 1953, Costa Rica also introduced Geisha, and it wasn't until the 1970s that Geisha seeds took root in Panama. The Geisha coffee we enjoy today can be considered quite precious and hard-won.

Due to their low yield and tall tree structure, Geisha coffee trees were originally used as windbreaks and received little attention. So how did Geisha transform from obscurity to become today's coffee superstar? FrontStreet Coffee attributes this to the dedicated efforts behind Hacienda La Esmeralda.

Hacienda La Esmeralda

The predecessor of Hacienda La Esmeralda was the Palmira farm, purchased in 1964 by retired American banker Rudolph A. Peterson. Initially focused on dairy production, his son later left his medical practice to assist his father in managing the farm. In 1987, they introduced Caturra and Catuaí varieties, naming the farm Hacienda La Esmeralda. In 1994, they established a wet processing plant and officially began coffee production.

When the third-generation owner Daniel joined the estate management in 1997, the specialty coffee movement was also gaining momentum. Daniel learned coffee cupping and conducted cupping evaluations on the first harvest of Geisha in 2003, classifying Geisha coffee trees by different elevations. The following year during another coffee harvest, Daniel's family submitted the Geisha coffee beans they discovered to have floral aromas and fruity acidity to that year's Best of Panama competition, ultimately winning first place with outstanding scores.

Hacienda La Esmeralda has three sub-estates: El Velo, Cañas Verdes, and Jaramillo.

Red Label & Green Label & Blue Label

Early on, after acquiring the excellent Jaramillo estate, Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered through cupping that Geisha possessed a distinctive flavor profile. They began cupping coffee from other areas of the farm, dividing planting plots by elevation. This led to what we now know as Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label. If classified by Hacienda La Esmeralda's marketing strategy, these are: Esmeralda Special—Red Label, Private Collection—Green Label, and Geisha 1500—Blue Label.

Among these, Esmeralda Special Red Label includes both auction and non-auction batches. The Red Label in the Esmeralda Special series has a characteristic feature: all coffee beans in each batch come from a single plot. For example, the Red Label Geisha coffee purchased by FrontStreet Coffee comes from the Jaramillo plot, providing buyers with detailed coffee information.

The Geisha produced by Esmeralda Special is selected from the two sub-regions of Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes, requiring cultivation at elevations between 1,600-1,800 meters and cupping scores above 90 points. We sometimes see auction batches of Red Label Geisha, which are actually selected by Hacienda La Esmeralda from designated plots to participate in internal independent auctions. Non-auction Red Label actually comes from the same plots and is priced much lower than auction Red Label.

FrontStreet Coffee: Red Label Geisha Coffee Beans

Region: Boquete Growing Region

Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda, Cañas Verdes

Elevation: 1,700+ meters

Variety: Geisha

Processing: Natural Processing

Flavor: Lemon, honey, berries, orange peel, mango, cream, citrus

Green Label Geisha consists of batches that do not participate independently in competitions. They are grown at elevations between 1,600-1,800 meters and are also selected from micro-batches planted in Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes. Green Label does not specify specific plot names, as Hacienda La Esmeralda mixes and sells coffee beans from within this range. Therefore, it's normal for Green Label to show flavor similarities to Red Label Geisha.

Additionally, there is Blue Label Geisha, selected from Geisha coffee grown at elevations of 1,400-1,500 meters and harvested from all three sub-estates of Hacienda La Esmeralda. Blue Label Geisha is only available in washed processing. Between 2019-2022, Daniel and his sister Rachel decided to elevate Hacienda La Esmeralda's positioning by discontinuing Blue Label batches and selling the Geisha coffee from these areas to a brand company. This company launched "Las Rocas," also known as Volcanic Rock Geisha coffee beans—what we know as Blue Label.

Both Red Label and Green Label Geisha batches use either natural or washed processing. Red Label Geisha features unique, rich floral aromas, complex fruit acidity, and multi-layered sweetness. Although Green Label is graded lower than Red Label, it still maintains the classic Geisha flavors: jasmine flower aromas, citrus-berry juice sensations, and a persistent aftertaste. The washed-only Blue Label Geisha presents softer acidic and fruity notes, appearing less robust in flavor compared to Red and Green Labels.

FrontStreet Coffee: Green Label Geisha Coffee Beans

Region: Boquete Growing Region

Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda, Cañas Verdes

Elevation: 1,600-1,800m

Variety: Geisha

Processing: Natural Processing

Flavor: Jasmine, ginger flower, citrus, cream, lemon, green tea

FrontStreet Coffee believes that Geisha's popularity stems not only from its stunning flavors but also from how the Geisha variety exhibits unique and distinctive tastes in different growing regions. This is why FrontStreet Coffee already offers 6 different Panama Geisha coffees on its bean selection, demonstrating the diversity of Geisha flavors. For example, the Guagua Estate Geisha coffee, which won the natural processing category at the 26th Best of Panama 2022, features particularly "dominant" acidity, highlighting malt fermentation notes on top of Geisha's traditional intense floral and fruity aromas. Due to limited quantity of this batch, FrontStreet Coffee only offers it in their physical stores, allowing customers to experience it in person.

Brewing Recommendations

Considering that different Geisha batches come from different growing environments, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters make corresponding adjustments based on the coffee beans' characteristics, but the main roasting approach always emphasizes Geisha's floral aromas and fruity acidity, using medium-light roasting.

Typically, when brewing high-altitude hard beans with prominent acidity, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using higher water temperatures of 92-93°C to extract more aromatic compounds.

Dripper: V60

Water Temperature: 92-93°C

Coffee Amount: 15 grams

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: 80% pass-through through #20 standard sieve

For brewing, FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction. After grinding the coffee, pour it into the filter paper and start with 30g of water from the center for a 30-second bloom. Note to maintain a small, steady water flow, circling from inside to out throughout. For the second segment, pour 95g of water, and when the coffee liquid has almost finished dripping, begin the third segment with 100g until all coffee has filtered through. The total time should be approximately 2 minutes, with about 10 seconds margin for error.

FrontStreet Coffee compared natural-processed Red Label and Green Label Geisha batches. After grinding, Red Label Geisha immediately releases intense rose aromas, with flavors of mango and tropical fruits, and a texture as smooth as cream—tasting less like coffee and more like a floral fruit tea. Green Label Geisha presents cleaner flavor profiles, with jasmine flower aromas, the sweet-tart taste of berries and lemon, and a persistent green tea aftertaste.

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