What is Chili Geisha Coffee? Is Aji Bourbon or Geisha? Does Finca La Línea's Chili Bean Have a Chili Flavor?

Earlier this month, the 2024 World Barista Championship (WBC) concluded, with the title going to Mikael Jasin of Indonesia. The coffee he used in the finals instantly became famous, and one variety in particular, "Aji Chili," immediately captured the attention of coffee enthusiasts everywhere.

To find out whether the much-discussed Aji chili really tastes of chili, FrontStreet Coffee took the opportunity to buy a small batch for tasting. Also sourced from Colombia's Divisoria Estate and washed processed, this coffee raises two questions: what exactly is the "chili" variety, and is it actually spicy?

Why Is It Called "Chili"?

Aji chili is also known as Aji Bourbon. "Ají" means "red chili pepper" in Spanish, and the variety takes its name from its unusual spicy character.

FrontStreet Coffee's research shows that Aji chili first appeared on a winning bean list at the 2021 Colombia Cup of Excellence (COE), where it scored 89.32 and ranked sixth in the washed category. The grower was the Lasso family of La Guaca Estate in Pitalito, Huila Province, managed by Jose Herman Salazar.

Toward the end of the last century, Jose acquired these chili coffee seeds from another estate in Pitalito, Huila Province. During one harvest, he accidentally discovered that the fruit from these trees naturally gave off a strong red chili pepper aroma. The farm owner therefore decided to classify, select and separately plant and harvest the seeds. Since the coffee growing on the estate at the time was mostly Pink Bourbon, Jose assumed this was simply another Bourbon variety and named it Aji Bourbon.

Does Aji Bourbon Belong to the Bourbon Family?

At the 2021 COE competition, judges found that the coffee Jose submitted was an unknown variety. Genetic analysis, cross-referenced against thousands of samples held by CATIE, an institution specializing in coffee DNA testing in the region, verified that this variety is registered in no coffee-growing region anywhere in the world. It was confirmed not to be Bourbon and may originate from Ethiopian landrace varieties. In the end, the COE website also dropped the word "Bourbon," keeping only the name "Aji."

It was not until March 2022 that the chromosome analysis report for "Aji" coffee was released, and the result surprised everyone: it is a hybrid of Congo Gesha and an Ethiopian Gesha landrace.

Han Huaizong noted in "Fourth Wave Specialty Coffee Studies" that Aji's chromosome sequence is quite unique, sharing many similarities with Congo Gesha from the CATIE database, while the differences between Aji and Congo Gesha can be found in Ethiopian Gesha. It is therefore highly likely that Aji is a hybrid of Congo Gesha and Ethiopian Gesha.

Because the identification results showed two Geisha genes, people gave it an additional new name: "Aji Gesha." Yet, just as with Pink Bourbon, although the genetic sequence clearly shows it is not a Bourbon variety, the name "Ají Bourbon" had already spread among growers and consumers. To this day, the variety is still sold under the old name Aji Bourbon.

So Is This "Chili Coffee" Actually Spicy?

The coffee farmers who first encountered Aji chili described it this way: when the beans are crushed, it is like cutting red chili peppers, causing an itching sensation in the nose and eyes. In the cup, the bean presents flavors reminiscent of chili powder, red chili and pepper. As they put it, "when you squeeze a grain, you have the sensation of the itching that the chili gives in the eye and nose, and in the cup it gives notes of paprika, chili and pepper."

Just reading these descriptions, FrontStreet Coffee could almost feel the heat. What if it does not suit the constitution of people from Guangdong?

After acquiring this Aji chili coffee and considering its rich fruity acidity, FrontStreet Coffee chose a medium-light roast curve to preserve more of its delicate aromatic compounds while keeping the nutty and spicy notes that come from caramelization.

FrontStreet Coffee: Colombia Divisoria · Aji Bourbon Coffee Beans

Origin: Huila Province, Colombia

Estate: Divisoria Estate

Altitude: 1750-1900 meters

Variety: Aji Bourbon

Processing: Washed

Flavor Notes: Pepper, mint, white chamomile, peach, lime, honey

Cupping Notes of Aji Chili

Before grinding, FrontStreet Coffee detected a trace of green bell pepper on the surface of the beans. Once ground, the aromas of pepper and clove immediately filled the nasal cavity, followed by white chamomile and lavender, creating an overall fresh and unusual profile. With the addition of hot water, the coffee began to release notes of lime, almond and herbs.

Tasting Experience

On entry, the coffee shows mint, lemongrass and lemon, with bright fruit acidity and a smooth texture. As the temperature drops slightly, a peach-like juiciness comes forward and makes the mouth water, and after swallowing there is still a maple-like sweetness. As the cup cools further, the experience returns to the realm of spice, dominated by pepper and cinnamon with a faint anise aftertaste. Although the "spiciness" the estate owners described was not detected, the flavor experience of Aji chili is genuinely unique and leaves a deep impression.

Finally, on the flavor experience of Aji chili coffee: since FrontStreet Coffee has no plans to list it individually for sale, only a small quantity was acquired for in-store tasting. Once it is gone, it is gone, so anyone who wants to try it should visit soon.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Aji's story is a Geisha story in disguise, so it is fitting to look at FrontStreet Coffee's Panamanian and Ethiopian Geisha lots. FrontStreet Coffee Panama Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha, formally named Esmeralda Special, is grown between 1600 and 1800 meters, and every batch must cup above 90 points and comes from a single small plot, so buyers can choose a lot by their preferred nuance. The green label, Private Collection, blends fruit from several plots into one batch and offers the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha character at a friendlier price.

For a broader tour of the variety, FrontStreet Coffee Geisha Village Gold Label is a natural-processed Geisha 1931 that makes up 10% of the estate's production and is the finest coffee it produces outside auction, while the Red Label is a Gori Gesha that accounts for 15% of output and scores 88 or above on the SCA 100-point scale as a single-terroir series with full traceability. If you want to start with a lighter, more affordable Geisha, FrontStreet Coffee Boquete Geisha delivers the classic orange-blossom honey character with oolong-tea depth and fine fruit acidity.

Ethiopia is the other half of the Geisha map. FrontStreet Coffee Granada Geisha is a natural-processed Ethiopian Geisha, dried on raised beds for 14 to 20 days depending on the weather and roasted medium-light, showing bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-lily aromas and ripe-fruit sweetness. And for an easy everyday option with Geisha character, FrontStreet Coffee Strawberry Candy blends Panama Geisha with a Costa Rican honey-processed coffee. It is a fine pour-over bean and also makes a refreshing cold brew: use 30 g ground to fine-sugar size, add 360 g of room-temperature water at a 1:12 ratio, steep in the refrigerator for 8 hours, filter, then let the liquid mature for another 3 hours for notes of grape, rose, sweet orange and fruit wine.