Washed Geisha vs Natural Geisha: Flavor Differences Between Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda's Washed and Natural Geisha

Introduction to Geisha Coffee at FrontStreet Coffee

At FrontStreet Coffee, the Geisha variety always captures the attention of customers. Many newcomers to the coffee world, before even tasting the beans, have heard of its reputation. They sit at the bar and ask FrontStreet Coffee about the characteristics of these beans, and FrontStreet Coffee's baristas patiently answer every question from customers.

FrontStreet Coffee offers Geisha coffee beans from Ethiopia, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, and more. Each region produces Geisha with distinct flavors, but the floral characteristic of Geisha is always present regardless of where it's grown. With the development of specialty coffee, more processing methods are being used for Geisha coffee beans. This time, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss the differences between two traditional processing methods: natural and washed processed Geisha coffee beans.

The Geisha Variety

Geisha refers to a coffee variety, known in English as "Geisha/Gesha," which coincidentally shares the same name as "Geisha" in Japanese, hence some people also call this variety Geisha.

The Geisha variety was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931. It was then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, to Costa Rica in 1953, and to Panama in 1970. Initially, not many people paid attention to Geisha until Panama's Emerald Estate (also known as Hacienda La Esmeralda) separated it from other varieties in 2003, and it became the champion of the BOP competition in 2004. Only then did the Geisha variety officially enter everyone's spotlight.

Although the flavor of the Geisha variety is exquisite, such elegant flavors come from specific growing environments. The Geisha variety is quite demanding about its growing conditions, requiring high altitude, cloud shade or extensive shade tree cover, and fertile soil. High-altitude Geisha coffee exhibits distinct floral aromas and delicate, elegant fruit acidity, which is one of the reasons for its global popularity.

Differences in Flavor Between Washed and Natural Processed Geisha

The washed process adds a fermentation step and cleans the beans more thoroughly, resulting in a refreshing taste with increased acidity. In contrast, the natural process, which retains some fruit pulp, adds berry flavors and creates a more viscous, full-bodied texture. The washed process removes the sticky pulp from the coffee beans before drying, ensuring they don't over-ferment or develop mold during drying. The cost of the washed process is higher than the natural process.

The main differences are:

1. Under the same processing conditions, natural processed beans carry distinct red wine aromas, while washed processed beans have citrus, honey, and fruit aromas.

2. Both exhibit distinct fruit acidity, similar to lemon and citrus fruits, but natural processed beans are richer. The obvious red wine aroma in natural processed beans is not very prominent in the finished product.

3. The acidity of washed processed beans is brighter, like citric acid, with a fresher taste and more obvious citrus aromas. Natural processed beans are richer, with a slightly stronger roasted bitterness, resulting in a much more intense flavor.

Washed Geisha coffee has brighter acidity, distinct jasmine floral aromas, bright citrus acidity, and berry sweetness. Washed Geisha tastes clean, refreshing, and crisp. In contrast, natural processed Geisha coffee has distinct rose floral aromas, berry juice characteristics, and fermentation notes that make the coffee taste smooth and rich.

Representative Coffees: Panama Emerald Estate Natural Red Label & Emerald Estate Washed Green Label

Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha

Made from the highest quality Geisha coffee at Emerald Estate, also known as Emerald Special Selection. Emerald Red Label is planted at altitudes between 1,600-1,800 meters, with cupping scores exceeding 90 points, representing the highest quality Geisha beans at Emerald Estate. FrontStreet Coffee would like to note that auction Geisha also comes from Red Label lots. Since Emerald Estate selects them for auction, there's no clear distinction in flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's Red Label selection comes from the Jaramillo lot, offering more abundant floral aromas and diverse complex fruit sweetness compared to many light-roasted coffee beans.

The independent auction organized by Emerald Estate features Geisha lots taken from designated plots for bidding - these are the auction Red Labels. However, there are also non-auction Red Labels on the market today, which are actually Geisha beans from the same plots that were not selected for auction, then circulated in the market. The variety and quality are consistent, with only differences in pricing.

Emerald Estate Green Label Geisha

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, consists of micro-lot blends from different plots such as Jaramillo and Canas Verdes, planted at altitudes of 1,600-1,800 meters. These are not independent competition lots but are still excellent quality Geisha varieties. Since this is a blend model without detailed plot specifications, sometimes Green Label and Red Label may have very similar flavor profiles, but the next batch might show differences.

How to Brew Two Emerald Estate Geisha Coffees

When roasting Emerald Estate Geisha coffee, FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-light roast to highlight the characteristics of Geisha while preserving its rich floral aromas, berry juice characteristics, and honey sweetness. For brewing medium-light roasted beans, FrontStreet Coffee recommends a water temperature of 90-91°C. Higher water temperatures help extract aromatic substances and acidity (fruit and floral aromas, fruit acidity) from light-roasted beans. Since medium-light roasted beans are harder, increasing water temperature enhances extraction efficiency from the coffee grounds, avoiding unpleasant flavors like sharp acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters:

Water temperature: 91-92°C
Coffee amount: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:16
Grind size: Fine sugar size (20号筛碗筛粉到80%)

FrontStreet Coffee uses V60 for brewing. The V60 conical filter has a wide opening, and its unique spiral ribs allow air to escape more easily, improving extraction quality. The body might not be as rich, but its high concentration brings out distinct acidity and obvious aromas, which is its major characteristic.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method:

First pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring to 95g (scale shows around 125g), completing the pour in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows around 225g), completing the pour in about 1 minute and 40 seconds. The drip finishes at 2 minutes and 3 seconds. Remove the filter to complete extraction.

Natural Red Label Brewing Flavor:

Bright rose and citrus aromas, brown rice, berries, apricots, complex fruits, and honey, with a rich juice texture, rich flavor layers, and distinct sweetness.

Washed Green Label Brewing Flavor:

Rich jasmine floral aromas and high sweetness upon entry, citrus, berries, juice sensation, cream, green tea, orange peel, and cantaloupe, with overall rich flavor layers and a persistent floral and citrus aftertaste.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473