Hacienda La Esmeralda Gesha Coffee Grading System! Is Gesha Coffee the World's Number One Coffee? What Grade is Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Gesha? What's the Difference Between Panama Green Label and Red Label Gesha?

The Legendary Discovery: Hacienda La Esmeralda and Geisha

If Geisha is compared to a thousand-mile horse, then Hacienda La Esmeralda is undoubtedly the Bo Le who recognized its talent. It was Hacienda La Esmeralda that discovered Geisha's potential and made its exquisite flavor known to the world at the 2004 Best of Panama (BOP) competition, allowing Geisha to become the top-tier variety in today's specialty coffee industry. It can be said that without Hacienda La Esmeralda, the Geisha variety might have taken many more years to successfully "debut."

Understanding Geisha Classification: Red Label vs Green Label

After successfully "promoting" Geisha to fame, Hacienda La Esmeralda began implementing strict refined cultivation and management for this variety, introducing a specialized grading system. The well-known "Red Label Geisha" and "Green Label Geisha" are different grades of Geisha classified by Hacienda La Esmeralda. Both of these Geisha varieties are available for purchase at FrontStreet Coffee's physical stores and online Taobao/Tmall stores. However, because their prices differ by more than double, many friends are curious: "Both are Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, so what exactly are the differences between the Green Label and Red Label that justify such a price gap?" This is a question that FrontStreet Coffee's customer service frequently receives.

The Meaning Behind the Labels

First, we need to understand that whether it's Red Label or Green Label, the various colored "labels" we commonly see in coffee are actually shorthand names that consumers use for these products. What does this mean? These various "labels" are not actually the product names themselves - they refer to the corresponding trademarks of the products. When Hacienda La Esmeralda grades their products, they also create corresponding trademarks for differentiation, with the biggest distinction between each product trademark being their color.

Red Label: The Premium Selection

The so-called "Red Label" refers to the highest grade of Geisha among Hacienda La Esmeralda's regular sales products (excluding auction lots). Its name is Esmeralda Special, with a trademark primarily in red. The Green Label, on the other hand, refers to Geisha with a green-colored trademark, ranking below the Red Label in Hacienda La Esmeralda's product line. Its name is Private Collection, which translates to "private collection."

Detailed Traceability: The Red Label Advantage

As FrontStreet Coffee has introduced, the Red Label is the highest grade of Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, excluding auction batches. They are grown at altitudes above 1,600 meters, with cupping scores no lower than 91 points, and come from single plots with extremely detailed traceability information. All Red Labels come with an independent batch number, from which we can read very detailed traceability information including the specific plot where this Red Label was grown, altitude, day-night temperature difference, latitude and longitude, tree age, harvest time, number of harvests, processing method, total yield, and more.

Green Label: Blended Excellence

Green Label Geisha is grown in the altitude range of 1,600-1,800 meters, with only two traditional processing methods available: natural and washed. Furthermore, it's a blend of Geisha harvested from each estate, so compared to the Red Label, it doesn't have such detailed traceability information - and this is the biggest difference between them! What does this mean? Hacienda La Esmeralda has three sub-estates: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo. Each estate is further subdivided into multiple plots - 6, 11, and 7 respectively, totaling 24 plots. Each Red Label Geisha comes from a single plot, while Green Label Geisha is a product made by harvesting Geisha from all plots of each estate and then blending them together for sale. This should be easier to understand now~

Flavor Comparison: Taste Testing

Now that we know their grading differences, the next question is about their flavor differences. Coincidentally, FrontStreet Coffee just obtained the new season's washed Red Label Geisha from the Mario plot in Jaramillo, so let's compare it with FrontStreet Coffee's washed Green Label Geisha from our coffee selection to see what flavor differences exist between these Geisha varieties that differ by double in price~ (Green Label on the left, Red Label on the right)

Brewing Parameters

To better highlight the coffee's floral and fruity aromas, FrontStreet Coffee used a medium-light roast curve to roast these two beans. Since the roast level is similar and the processing method is consistent, FrontStreet Coffee used identical parameters when brewing! As follows:

Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Grind: EK43 setting 10, 80% pass-through rate with #20 sieve, fine granulated sugar texture
Water Temperature: 92°C
Brewing Method: Three-pour method
Dripper: V60

Brewing Technique

The brewing technique is no different from usual: First, we pour twice the amount of water as the coffee dose for a 30-second bloom; after the bloom ends, use a moderate amount of water to pour the second stage. This stage has 120ml of water total, poured from the center and then slowly expanding outward. When reaching the outer circle, we continue circular pouring until the target water amount is reached; The third stage of hot water is poured after the hot water from the second stage has finished dripping. We use a smaller water flow to pour all remaining 75ml of hot water in small circles. When all the hot water in the dripper has completely dripped through, we can remove the dripper and finish extraction.

Flavor Analysis: Subtle but Distinct Differences

Due to the high density of the beans and slow flow rate, the extraction time for both coffees was around 2 minutes and 15 seconds. As for their tasting flavors... to be honest, there are some differences, but not as significant as everyone might imagine.

The Esmeralda Green Label presents white floral aromas, citrus, honey, and oolong tea notes, with some caramel and melon sweetness. The overall flavor is balanced, with a smooth and round mouthfeel and a long aftertaste, much like drinking a cup of fruity jasmine tea. The Esmeralda Red Label's flavor profile is quite similar - also floral and fruity, with jasmine flower, berries, citrus, and oolong tea notes... also like drinking a cup of fruity floral tea, but its overall mouthfeel is cleaner and the flavors more defined. For friends who don't regularly drink Red Label and Green Label as daily coffees, it would be nearly impossible to distinguish between them in a blind tasting. This is actually understandable, after all, they are coffees grown on the same land, and with identical variety, terroir, and processing methods, it's difficult to see very large differences. This is also why the Green Label is often called Hacienda La Esmeralda's most cost-effective Geisha currently available (originally it was the Blue Label, but Hacienda La Esmeralda has discontinued the Blue Label product line).

Conclusion: Making Your Choice

The above covers the differences between Hacienda La Esmeralda's Green Label and Red Label Geisha. If you want to try a more classic Geisha flavor profile, FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Green Label Washed Geisha, or FrontStreet Coffee's Boquete Washed Geisha from our coffee selection would both be excellent choices~

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