Origin of Panamanian Geisha Coffee Beans and Geisha Coffee Flavor - La Esmeralda and Ninety Plus Geisha Coffee
Geisha Coffee Beans: The World's Most Prestigious Variety
Geisha coffee beans can be described as the most well-known and expensive coffee bean variety in recent years! That's right, those familiar with specialty coffee should know that the "Geisha" mentioned by FrontStreet Coffee is actually the more commonly known Geisha coffee in China. The origin of Geisha coffee traces back to Panama's specialty coffee scene. Before 2004, Panama's specialty coffee was not highly valued by the international coffee community. However, after 2004, when "Geisha coffee" was discovered and gained fame, it repeatedly won championships in Panama's National Cup of Excellence competition, dominating until 2007.
Geisha Coffee Beans Origin from Ethiopia
Although Geisha coffee beans were popularized in Panama, expert identification revealed that the Geisha coffee variety actually originates from Ethiopia's coffee gene treasury - the Kaffa Forest. More precisely, it comes from Geisha Mountain in southwestern Ethiopia, at an altitude of approximately 1700-2100 meters. But what's puzzling is why Ethiopia didn't keep such high-quality coffee for itself but instead gave it to Panama?
In Ethiopia's official archives, there are actually records describing Geisha. At that time, Geisha was discovered to have extremely strong disease resistance and could be used to "hybridize" with other coffee trees to enhance their disease resistance. However, the flavor was not extensively described, and the yield was poor, so it completely disappeared from the radar for a long time until recently rediscovered by the world. This has led some to speculate whether the dramatic enhancement in Geisha flavor is due to Panama's unique terroir, though this remains to be confirmed.
Geisha Coffee Beans Rise to Fame
Geisha coffee beans were actually discovered at Hacienda La Esmeralda, but before discussing this estate, we must first mention its founders, the Peterson family. The estate owned by the Peterson family is actually what we now know as "Hacienda La Esmeralda." Back in 1996, the Peterson family saw great potential in the landscape environment and coffee quality of Hacienda La Esmeralda, thus purchasing the entire estate!
The coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda tastes very different from typical Panamanian coffee, with a subtle orange aroma and floral-fruity notes. However, the Peterson family was initially uncertain which coffee tree variety created this flavor. Therefore, they conducted cupping sessions on each coffee tree variety within the estate, only to discover that the coffee trees previously used as windbreaks by the former owner were actually the ones with the unique flavor! They immediately separated the coffee from that area and entered it in the 2004 cupping competition, where it made a stunning debut and introduced Geisha coffee to the world!
Geisha Coffee Grown Worldwide - How to Choose?
Because the flavor profile of Geisha coffee varieties is beloved by many, featuring rich citrus aroma, jasmine floral notes, almond and mango, honey-like sweetness, and bright, complex fruit acidity, major coffee-producing countries have rushed to cultivate it.
However, even the same coffee variety can have vastly different flavors in different growing environments!
Each region's unique climate, growing altitude, humidity, daylight duration, soil, growers, and even the processing methods after coffee cherry harvesting all significantly affect the final coffee flavor! For example, Geisha coffees from Panama, Colombia, Ethiopia, and other regions all have distinctly different flavor profiles.
To help more coffee enthusiasts understand Geisha coffee, we propose two benchmarks to provide guidance: Hacienda La Esmeralda and 90+ (Ninety Plus).
Hacienda La Esmeralda
Hacienda La Esmeralda is the estate initially owned by the Peterson family mentioned earlier. After local testing, they discovered that Geisha coffee grown above 1400 meters altitude had the best flavor. Therefore, they use a method of "primarily altitude, supplemented by cupping scores" to classify their Geisha coffee beans into Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label.
The Red Label represents the highest quality, divided into auction beans and non-auction beans, grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, with traceability to specific plot information, possessing refined Panamanian Geisha flavor. Among these, auction beans can only be purchased through global auction events.
FrontStreet Coffee: Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda · Red Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Boquete Region
Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda Cañas Verdes
Altitude: 1700+ meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Natural Process
Flavor: Lemon, Honey, Berries, Orange Peel, Mango, Cream
The Green Label grade doesn't trace back to detailed plot information and is priced relatively lower, but the altitude and quality are close to the Red Label, featuring classic Panamanian Geisha flavor.
The Blue Label is also not an auction bean, with even lower altitude, around 1500 meters, making it the most affordable. However, this grade has currently been discontinued.
Ninety Plus
90+ is a world-renowned green coffee trader. As the name suggests, their green coffee cupping scores are all above 90 points, and they possess unique cultivation and processing techniques, strictly controlling coffee flavor. They cooperate with many coffee farmers and also own their own coffee estates. Particularly for the Geisha coffee variety, they have established the Ninety Plus Geisha Estate estate and various innovative processing methods to name each Geisha coffee, making them highly competitive!
Ninety Plus was founded in Ethiopia in 2006 by Joseph Brodsky. It amazed coffee connoisseurs with its debut coffee in 2007, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.
The exceptional flavor that captivates everyone cannot be separated from meticulous handling at every stage. They participate directly during the farmers' cultivation phase, and after harvesting, the green beans are separated individually according to variety, climate, time, and other factors. Customized storage and processing methods are tailored specifically for each bean to achieve extremely high-quality coffee.
Joseph Brodsky, during his time in Ethiopia, wanted to find but couldn't locate a variety that could surpass Geisha. Since it wasn't possible to surpass Geisha in terms of variety, he decided to enhance it based on the Geisha foundation to create the highest quality Geisha. The experimental processing methods accumulated during his years in Ethiopia are exactly what 90+ excels at. In 2009, Joseph Brodsky established the 90+ Geisha Estate Ninety Plus Gesha Estate in Panama.
The baristas at Ninety Plus assign impressionistic names based on their first impressions of each coffee creation. Similar to names like Nekisse, and our Juliette: elegant and romantic. Or like Drima Zede and Danch Meng, which are derived from local vernacular or direct English translations.
FrontStreet Coffee: Panama Ninety Plus 90+ Geisha · Eleta Coffee Beans
Country: Panama
Grade: SHG
Region: Volcán Region
Estate: Ninety Plus
Altitude: 1400-1800 meters
Processing Method: 90+ Special Processing
Variety: Geisha
Flavor: Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Pineapple, Longan, Dried Fruit, Apple
Important Notice :
前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:
FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou
Tel:020 38364473
- Prev
Introduction to the 2022 WBC Champion Sidra Coffee Bean - Characteristics of the Colombian Sidra Coffee Variety
The 2019 WBC World Barista Championship was won by Jooyeon Jeon from South Korea, who used lactate-processed Sidra specialty coffee beans from Colombia's Palmas y Tucanes Estate. What exactly is Sidra coffee? Selected by a Korean coffee master
- Next
Pros and Cons of Coffee Bean Processing Methods: Natural, Washed, Semi-Washed, Wet-Hulled, Anaerobic, and Barrel Fermentation
Why do coffee beans need processing? Coffee beans are the seeds of coffee cherries, so we must first remove the skin, pulp, mucilage, and parchment to obtain the coffee beans. At this stage, the coffee beans are raw and typically appear white, emerald green, or yellow. They only become brown roasted coffee beans after being processed through roasting. The aforementioned removal process involves various processing methods, including natural, washed, semi-washed, wet-hulled, anaerobic, and barrel fermentation techniques, each with its unique advantages and disadvantages that affect the final flavor profile of the coffee.
Related
- How to make bubble ice American so that it will not spill over? Share 5 tips for making bubbly coffee! How to make cold extract sparkling coffee? Do I have to add espresso to bubbly coffee?
- Can a mocha pot make lattes? How to mix the ratio of milk and coffee in a mocha pot? How to make Australian white coffee in a mocha pot? How to make mocha pot milk coffee the strongest?
- How long is the best time to brew hand-brewed coffee? What should I do after 2 minutes of making coffee by hand and not filtering it? How long is it normal to brew coffee by hand?
- 30 years ago, public toilets were renovated into coffee shops?! Multiple responses: The store will not open
- Well-known tea brands have been exposed to the closure of many stores?!
- Cold Brew, Iced Drip, Iced Americano, Iced Japanese Coffee: Do You Really Understand the Difference?
- Differences Between Cold Drip and Cold Brew Coffee: Cold Drip vs Americano, and Iced Coffee Varieties Introduction
- Cold Brew Coffee Preparation Methods, Extraction Ratios, Flavor Characteristics, and Coffee Bean Recommendations
- The Unique Characteristics of Cold Brew Coffee Flavor Is Cold Brew Better Than Hot Coffee What Are the Differences
- The Difference Between Cold Drip and Cold Brew Coffee Is Cold Drip True Black Coffee