Colombia Huila Montblanc Estate Washed Flower Encounter Coffee Beans - How to Brew Geisha Coffee Beans?

Colombia Geisha Blend · Hanami Coffee Beans

Origin: Huila, Colombia

Estate: Finca Montblanco

Altitude: 1900 meters

Varieties: Geisha, Caturra, Catuai

Processing: Washed

Flavor Notes: Pink pepper, chamomile, honey pomelo, honey, almond

Coffee Growing Region

Huila province lies where the central and eastern ranges of the Andes meet, in southern Colombia. Its coffee growing areas center on Pitalito city, with cultivation altitudes from 1,750-1,950m, and are mostly run by small farmers. Over the past decade, small farmers have worked together, hand-harvesting cherries and processing them carefully, ultimately producing specialty beans that showcase Huila's regional character. FrontStreet Coffee cupped multiple beans from the Huila region, all featuring nutty and caramel notes along with gentle berry acidity.

Finca Montblanco

Finca Montblanco sits along the winding mountain roads of Vereda La Tocora in Pitalito city. It is run by owner Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia, whose coffee cultivation traces back to his grandfather. The farm occupies a hilltop of roughly 18 hectares. With abundant water and complete washing and drying equipment, most beans from the estate undergo washed processing, including special methods derived from the washed process.

Coffee Varieties

This Geisha blend that FrontStreet Coffee acquired mixes Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai varieties. Some readers may wonder whether it still qualifies as a single-origin coffee. Single-origin refers to beans grown in a single (same) coffee region or estate, not necessarily a single variety, so this Geisha blend still belongs to the single-origin category.

Caturra and Catuai were planted on the estate first. In 2016, the owner and his team introduced the Geisha variety from Panama; it began bearing fruit in 2020 and entered mass production in 2021. That makes this lot the first Geisha coffee bean Finca Montblanco has sold to market.

Washed Processing Method

The owner first float-sorts the harvested cherries to remove low-density and rotten fruit as well as branches and stones. Machines then remove the pulp and flesh. The depulped beans go into fermentation tanks for 18-36 hours, where the acidity produced during fermentation removes the mucilage layer. The fermented beans are then cleaned thoroughly and finally sun-dried to bring moisture down to about 11%. The sun-dried beans are stored in parchment until just before export, when the parchment is removed.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Because new-season green beans carry high moisture, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters extend the dehydration time during roasting to ensure even heating between the bean surface and core. To express this bean's sweetness, acidity, and rich aroma, a medium-light roast is used.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60#01

Water Temperature: 91°C

Coffee Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:16

Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (77% pass-through rate on the China standard #20 sieve)

Three-Stage Pouring Technique: First pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. Then, with a small water flow, pour in circles to 130g and pause. When the level drops and the coffee bed is about to be exposed, continue pouring to 240g and stop. When the level drops again and the bed is about to be exposed, remove the dripper. Timing starts from the bloom; total extraction time is 2'15".

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the refined floral and citrus character of Geisha, these FrontStreet Geisha selections are worth exploring:

FrontStreet Boquete Geisha

For beginners who want a first taste of the famous "Geisha flavor," FrontStreet usually recommends this Boquete Geisha from Panama. It is an entry-level Geisha that lets you enjoy the classic Panamanian orange-blossom honey character at a friendly price, with oolong-tea notes, a delicate fruit-like sweet-sour balance, and clear layers.

FrontStreet Esmeralda Green Label Geisha

Hacienda Esmeralda's Geisha line divides into Red Label and Green Label grades. The Green Label, originally called "Private Collection," does not stress detailed plot information the way the Red Label does; instead it blends batches from several plots to express Esmeralda's signature high-altitude Geisha flavor. Think of it as a Geisha batch without plot separation, which makes it more affordable and gives it excellent value.

FrontStreet Genlana Estate Geisha

Genlana Estate in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia, is a rare farm that grows only a single variety. This FrontStreet Genlana Geisha comes from the Genlana processing station at the border of Ethiopia's Kochere and Genlana Abaya regions. The station was founded in 2014 and is run by Mr. Israel Degefa; its area covers as much as 700 hectares of coffee, much of it uncultivated, with fertile soil and shade trees throughout. Grown in that original-rainforest soil, the beans are hand-picked whole ripe cherries and dried on raised beds for 14-20 days depending on the weather. Suited to a medium-light roast, it pours with bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-lily aroma, ripe-fruit sweetness, a delicate silky texture, and Geisha's signature refined finish.