Differences Between Bolivian Coffee Beans and Geisha Coffee Beans - Bolivian Geisha Coffee Bean Flavor Story

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Comparing Geisha and Java Coffee Varieties

When mentioning Geisha, we all think of the unique floral and fruit aromas that this bean possesses. It is precisely because of this that it has been sought after by many people. FrontStreet Coffee recently acquired what is said to be a cousin of Geisha—the Java variety. So the question arises: how big is the difference between these two? FrontStreet Coffee will use Geisha coffee beans from Panama's Janson Estate and Bolivian Java coffee beans for a series of comparisons to see the differences between them.

Geisha Coffee Variety

Geisha coffee beans are elongated in shape, and their flavor is fresh and pleasant. From these two perspectives, Geisha indeed doesn't resemble Central and South American coffee varieties, but rather Ethiopian coffee varieties. So when was Geisha introduced to Panama?

The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 from the Geisha forest in Ethiopia and then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania, and in 1953, Costa Rica introduced it. For a long time, not many people paid attention to Geisha, until one day, Don Pachi initially brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica. Afterward, Geisha entered Panama along the southern route, where Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship. FrontStreet Coffee, through cupping, believes that Geisha has rich sweetness, an extremely clean mouthfeel, and abundant aromas that extend from berries and citrus to mango, papaya, and peach flavors. A very distinct bergamot-like aftertaste is also its typical cupping characteristic. To this day, Geisha remains the champion among coffee varieties.

Java Coffee Variety

In Bolivia, it's known as the long-shaped bean variety, named for its elongated appearance, and its formal name should be Java. Java is a very interesting variety—its name alone suggests a strong connection to Indonesia. In fact, Java originally grew in the primary forests of Ethiopia, collected by local ethnic groups, and then transmitted through Yemen to Indonesia, where it was named Java. Originally, it was widely believed that Java was a branch of Typica, but after genetic comparison, it was discovered that Java is actually from the Ethiopian coffee variety Abysinia. After Indonesia, Java first spread to the nearby Timor island group, then to Cameroon in East Africa, where it was first released for farmers to cultivate in 1980.

As for its introduction to Central and South America, it was under the leadership of breeding expert Benoit Bertrand that in 1991, it was introduced to Costa Rica through CIRAD (the Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement). The first Central American country to officially recognize the Java variety was Panama, and it reached Bolivia through Nicaragua. As its name suggests, the Long Bean has long fruits and seeds, bronze-colored young shoots, and quite tall plants but low yields. Due to its outstanding flavor, not inferior to Geisha, and stronger resistance to leaf rust and coffee berry disease, it's very suitable for small farmers to cultivate.

So why are Geisha coffee variety and Java coffee variety considered to have the possibility of being close relatives? FrontStreet Coffee believes that first, both Java and Geisha originate from the forests of Ethiopia, and second, both Geisha coffee beans and Java coffee beans have elongated bean shapes. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will show you Geisha coffee beans from Panama's Janson Estate and Java coffee beans from Bolivia to see the differences between their raw beans.

Looking at the raw beans, the Bolivian Java variety's raw beans are relatively slender and pointed at both ends, while the Janson Geisha's raw beans are slightly shorter and more rounded.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Records

Janson Geisha:

This coffee has relatively large beans with high density, absorbing more heat during the roasting process, and the Maillard reaction proceeds quite quickly.

Heat the roaster to 200°C, open the air damper to 3.5, after 30 seconds adjust the heat to 160°C, air damper to 3. The temperature returns to 153.3°C at 1'32", adjust the heat once when the bean surface turns yellow and the grassy smell completely disappears, indicating dehydration is complete. Adjust the heat to 140°C, air damper to 4. At 9'0", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, the toast smell clearly changes to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'47", first crack begins, reduce heat to 50°C, open air damper fully to 5 (adjust heat very carefully, not so low that there's no cracking sound). Develop for 2'40" after first crack, discharge at 197.1°C.

Bolivian Java:

FrontStreet Coffee uses an extended development period to highlight the sweetness of natural processing and cocoa aroma, creating a sweet and delicious flavor. Using Yangjia 800N as an example, with 500g of raw beans.

Enter beans at 170°C, heat at 120, air damper at 3. Temperature returns to 111°C at 1'36", open air damper to 4, adjust heat to 140. When the temperature reaches 151.1°C, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 7'56", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast smell clearly changes to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack, adjust air damper to 5. Listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 10'18", first crack begins, develop for 1'00" after first crack, discharge at 190°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Reports

[Janson Geisha]

Dry aroma has fermented fragrance of ripe fruits, maple syrup, lemon, citrus, apple, rose, dark chocolate, fruit aroma, pomegranate, ripe grapes, peach, and dark berry flavors, multi-layered sweet and sour.

[Bolivian Java]

Dry aroma has hazelnut fragrance. The first sip brings the sweetness of cream, hazelnut, and almond, along with the sweet and sour notes of citrus and tropical fruits, carrying fermented wine aroma.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Comparison

Filter: HARIO V60
Water temperature: 90°C
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Fine sugar size

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction: Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour with a small circular flow to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the filter cup. Extraction time is 2'00" (timing starts from bloom).

Brewing Results:

[Janson Geisha] Carries fermented fragrance of ripe fruits, with sweet and sour sensations of tropical fruits and berries at the first sip, obvious maple syrup sweetness, and aftertaste with some cocoa, grape, and rose tea aromas.

[Bolivian Java] The first sip has obvious sweet and sour sensations of citrus, lime, and hawthorn, with some fruit chocolate and vanilla cream aftertaste. When the temperature drops, there's sweet orange acidity, and when cool, there's a light maple syrup sweetness and jasmine tea, rose tea aftertaste, with long-lasting sugarcane sweetness.

[Janson Geisha] is cleaner in flavor and mouthfeel, while [Bolivian Java] has richer layering.

Important Notice :

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