Panama Geisha Cold Drip Coffee Flavor Profile & Esmeralda Special Reserve Green Label Coffee Bean Price

When it comes to Geisha coffee, many people have likely heard of it. Beyond its delicate aroma, what people discuss most are its premium price and various delicious brewing methods. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will explain why this coffee is so expensive and share its brewing techniques.

What is Geisha?

Unlike coffee varieties we're familiar with such as Yirgacheffe, Blue Mountain, and Kona—named after their geographical origins—Geisha is actually a branch within the Arabica family tree. It has left countless people deeply impressed and fascinated due to its rich and elegant floral notes, citrus, and complex fruit flavors.

On FrontStreet Coffee's bean selection, there are approximately 10 different Geisha coffees to choose from. If you're trying Geisha for the first time, FrontStreet Coffee would first recommend the natural processed Red Label or washed Green Label from Hacienda La Esmeralda. The so-called Red Label refers to ESMERALDA SPECIAL, which is the highest grade Geisha from the estate, priced at 350 yuan/100g, with a handcrafted coffee costing 75 yuan; the Green Label represents the second-highest Geisha grade, originally named PRIVATE COLLECTION, with coffee beans priced at 168 yuan/100g, corresponding to a handcrafted coffee at 60 yuan.

Why is Geisha Expensive?

FrontStreet Coffee has learned that Geisha was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931 and was later sent to a coffee research institute in Kenya. During this period, 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 finally took root in Panama. It can be said that the Geisha coffee we drink today is quite precious.

As the saying goes, "rarity brings value," and Geisha coffee's production is extremely scarce. Panama's annual coffee production is approximately 10,000 tons, while the renowned Hacienda La Esmeralda produces only 150 bags of green beans annually, about 9,000 kilograms. With Geisha accounting for only 3% of production, that amounts to just 270 kilograms. Combined with various media coverage and promotion of Geisha's flavor profile, public enthusiasm for Geisha has only increased, naturally keeping the price of Geisha coffee high.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that Geisha coffee's outstanding reputation today is largely thanks to Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. Daniel Peterson, the third-generation owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda, stated that the discovery of the "Geisha variety" was the result of years of comparison and testing before finally identifying this variety in 2003. Two weeks before the 2003 Best of Panama (BOP) competition, while selecting competition batches on the internal cupping table, they discovered that Geisha possessed outstanding flavors of jasmine, citrus, peach, blueberry, bergamot, and sugarcane. Although these flavors differed from the preferences of coffee connoisseurs at the time, Daniel still chose to participate with Geisha and won first place in the competition.

In 2005, Hacienda La Esmeralda entered Geisha in the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) competition, defeating many star contenders and winning the honor of world-class specialty coffee. It also won the world championship in 2006 and 2007, once again attracting the attention of coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Since then, coffee-producing regions around the world have raced to introduce Geisha, including our country's Yunnan province, which has begun cultivating this popular variety. Although Geisha can now be produced worldwide, FrontStreet Coffee believes that as the discoverer of Geisha's flavor profile, Hacienda La Esmeralda not only maintains strict quality control but also uses natural processing methods to best present the classic "Geisha flavor."

How to Enjoy Green Label Geisha?

As a Geisha batch that doesn't participate in auctions but maintains excellent quality, the Green Label is harvested from a blend of Geisha beans from different plots within two main estates at altitudes of 1,600-1,800 meters. With its classic citrus aroma and honeyed sweetness, it has become the preferred choice for many Geisha enthusiasts with limited budgets. Since 2022, Hacienda La Esmeralda has also begun labeling this grade of Geisha with information about the specific growing area—whether from Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, or El Velo.

According to information disclosed on Hacienda La Esmeralda's official website, Green Label Geisha from different plots exhibits unique dominant flavor directions due to terroir differences. The Green Label from the Jaramillo plot presents intense jasmine and rose notes; the Canas Verdes Green Label offers richer tropical fruit flavors; while the El Velo Green Label features lemongrass and floral aromas. FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Green Label uses washed processing, and whether in the dry fragrance after grinding, during brewing, or in the final taste, it consistently expresses a delicate floral and fruit character. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will extract this coffee bean using the cold drip method.

Is Panama Geisha Good When Made as Cold Drip?

Brewing parameters: 60g coffee grounds, 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, 1:1 ratio of water to ice cubes, total coffee liquid volume 600ml, grind size slightly finer than granulated sugar.

Cold Drip Making Method Illustrated

First, place a filter paper at the bottom of the coffee ground container, moisten it with water, and press it firmly with a stirring rod to ensure it fits snugly. Then, fill the container with freshly ground coffee powder, shake to level the surface, and place another filter paper on top of the grounds before placing it in the stand. Add the proportioned ice and water to the water container and stir to combine. Adjust the valve to quickly wet all the coffee grounds, similar to a bloom process. After fully moistening, adjust the valve again to control the water drops between 5-7 drops per 10 seconds, then wait for the coffee liquid to finish dripping. Once the coffee extraction is complete, transfer it to a sealed bottle and refrigerate for 2 days before drinking.

This Emerald Green Label Geisha cold drip coffee offers flavors of white flowers, orange, blueberry, and green tea, with a delicate and light mouthfeel that's clean without any off-flavors. Enhanced by ice, it becomes even more refreshing and smooth—truly a perfect summer beverage.

However, FrontStreet Coffee would like to remind all ice coffee lovers that for both flavor experience and health safety considerations, whether it's cold drip or cold brew, for any extraction method performed in low-temperature environments, FrontStreet Coffee recommends consuming it within 5 days (counting from the preparation date).

Important Notice :

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