What are the characteristics of Geisha from Panama's 90+ Estates? Introduction to 90+Eleta Geisha from Volcán Region

The Story of Ninety Plus: From Geisha Fever to Coffee Excellence

When it comes to the most sought-after coffee varieties, many people think of Geisha, especially the Geisha grown in Panama. That is why FrontStreet Coffee's bean list includes several Panamanian Geisha coffees, among which the 90+ Eleta easily stands out. Many people ask: is 90+ a farm? Where in Panama is it? What are the characteristics of the Geisha it produces?

In fact, 90+ is the full name of Ninety Plus, an American company founded by Joseph Brodsky in 2006.

In 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda entered the Panama BOP competition with Geisha. The Geisha variety stood out and won the championship with its floral and citrus-toned flavors. Geisha rose to prominence, drawing significant interest and attention, including from Joseph Brodsky, the founder of Ninety Plus.

Joseph then traveled to Panama hoping to find coffee varieties that could rival Geisha, but his efforts ended in failure. He did not give up, however, and instead chose to go to Ethiopia, where more undiscovered coffee varieties remain.

In 2006, Joseph began living in Ethiopia and took part full-time in local coffee cultivation, handling and researching coffee processing. At first, with insufficient funds, he had no plantation of his own and could only buy high-quality cherries picked by others, exporting them after meticulous processing. Even so, the coffee he produced began to draw attention in the industry for its extremely rich fruit flavors and excellent quality, including from some international competition participants. Ninety Plus gradually made its name.

The Establishment of the Ninety Plus Estates

Joseph had still never found quality to match Geisha, so he decided to cultivate Geisha himself and use his own distinctive processing to create top-tier Geisha. In 2009 he returned to Panama and acquired the roughly 200-hectare Ninety Plus Gesha Estate in Volcan-Candela, and began planting coffee, mainly cultivating the varieties he had brought back from Ethiopia along with Panama Geisha varieties. Coffee was officially produced starting in 2014. Later, in 2019, Ninety Plus also acquired a plot on the western side of Baru Volcano, establishing Ninety Plus Baru Estates, though that estate has not yet officially produced coffee.

Volcan-Candela: The Terroir of Excellence

The Volcan-Candela region, where the Ninety Plus Gesha Estate is located, is one of Panama's main coffee-producing areas. Although it is not as famous by reputation as Boquete, it likewise has rich natural resources. Volcan-Candela sits on the eastern side of Baru Volcano, with coffee grown between 1,200 and 1,800 meters, along with fertile volcanic soil and abundant sunlight. Because of the mountain barrier to the north, however, Atlantic moisture struggles to reach the area, which makes this producing region relatively drier.

Innovative Processing Methods

Ninety Plus has established a Profile Processing system to oversee the entire chain, from varieties, cultivation, harvesting and processing methods, customizing the processing for each bean. It also created the Ninety Plus Sensory Room, an NP sensory laboratory, and a Solar Kiln Laboratory for experimenting with green-bean processing methods outside the conventional approaches.

FrontStreet Coffee's Ninety Plus Selection

Currently FrontStreet Coffee offers two 90+ series beans from this estate: Juliet Geisha and Eleta Geisha. Both belong to the 90+ processing method, though Ninety Plus has not disclosed the specifics. Through cupping, it is speculated that they use anaerobic natural processing.

When brewed, Eleta Geisha reveals aromas of longan and preserved fruit. On the palate it presents bergamot, sweet orange, grape and pineapple, with the refreshing sweetness of apple juice, a rich and varied mouthfeel, and an endless aftertaste.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If estate-level Ninety Plus is more of an aspiration, FrontStreet's Geisha lineup offers a clear path in. For a first taste of the famous Geisha profile, the FrontStreet Boquete Geisha is the entry-level pick: an estate-grade coffee grown at 1,600 meters on fertile volcanic ash soil, it brews with the classic jasmine, green tea, honey, citrus and orange notes that put Panama on the map.

Moving up, the FrontStreet Emerald Estate Red Label comes from a single plot at 1,700 meters and above, with each lot cupped at 91 points or higher, showing a refined orange-blossom-honey character. The Green Label blends lots from several plots to express the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha profile at a more approachable price. From Ethiopia, the FrontStreet Geisha Village Gold Label is a Geisha 1931 selection that makes up about 10% of the village's output and is often the choice of competition baristas, while the FrontStreet Grana Geisha, from naturally processed whole cherries dried on raised beds for 14 to 20 days depending on the weather, shows bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-flower aroma and the full sweetness of ripe fruit.