How Much Does a Cup of Geisha Coffee Usually Cost - Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Hacienda La Esmeralda's Blue Label and Red Label Geisha Coffee Beans

When it comes to Geisha coffee, most people immediately think of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. The reason this estate became so famous is that in 2004, the estate owner entered what was then considered impossible to win awards and didn't match the mainstream taste preferences of the time into the Best of Panama (BOP) competition. Due to its unique floral and fruity aroma, all judges were shocked, giving it an average cupping score of 94.6 points, breaking BOP's historical record and winning the championship.

Overnight, Geisha became the world's most sought-after championship coffee variety. Between 2004 and 2007, Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha beans won awards. Then in 2009, 2010, and 2013, they also won gold medals in single-category competitions, and Geisha's auction prices soared from $21 per pound in 2004 to $170 per pound in 2010, reaching $819 per pound in 2022.

The Value of Esmeralda Geisha Coffee

Expensive, right? Indeed. But these are the auction prices for Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee beans. These auction-level coffee beans are typically available in very small quantities, and few coffee brands can supply them for extended periods. Most are purchased by coffee shops and then sold in physical stores or used for tasting events.

The Esmeralda Red Label that we can buy in our daily lives is mostly from the same harvest season, even the same plots as the auction coffee, but the price is significantly different. Currently, Esmeralda Red Label Geisha roasted beans available on the market typically cost between 300-500 yuan per 100g, with washed processing being slightly cheaper than natural processing.

The Esmeralda Red Label batch that FrontStreet Coffee acquired uses natural processing, where whole coffee cherries are evenly dried and dehydrated under the sun. This process allows the Geisha to present a full juice-like mouthfeel, exquisite berry sweetness and acidity, charming red floral aromas, and enticing black tea aftertaste, winning the hearts of many coffee enthusiasts.

Esmeralda Special Red Label

The Esmeralda Special series (Red Label) is the highest grade of Geisha coffee beans sold by Hacienda La Esmeralda, grown at elevations of 1600-1800 meters in clearly defined plots. Each batch must score above 91 points in cupping. This series typically comes from the Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes sub-estates.

Another characteristic of Red Label batches is that each has an independent number, and all coffee beans in one batch come from a small plot. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Label this year comes from the Mario plot, with fresh roasted beans priced at 350 yuan per 100g, and a cup in FrontStreet Coffee's store costs 75 yuan (brewed with 15g of coffee grounds). FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Natural Red Label Geisha coffee beans exhibit flavors of floral and fruit tea with mature strawberries, roses, black tea, and grapefruit acidity and sweetness, with a sweet berry aftertaste and persistent finish.

Private Collection Green Label

The Private Collection series (Green Label) emphasizes the signature flavors of Hacienda La Esmeralda's high-altitude Geisha coffee, unlike the Red Label which emphasizes specific plots. This series is a blend of batches from various specific plots. (Actually, the Green Label can be roughly understood as a Red Label without plot separation.)

FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Green Label coffee beans use washed processing, resulting in a relatively cleaner and fresher mouthfeel compared to the Red Label Natural Geisha coffee beans. Fresh roasted beans are priced at 168 yuan per 100g, and a cup in FrontStreet Coffee's store costs 60 yuan (brewed with 15g of coffee grounds).

FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Washed Green Label Geisha coffee beans exhibit flavors of white flowers like jasmine and ginger flower, clean acidity like sweet orange and lemon, honey sweetness, and a Tieguanyin tea-like aftertaste.

Blue Label Geisha

Regarding Esmeralda Blue Label Geisha coffee beans, according to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Hacienda La Esmeralda officially announced in the 2021 harvest season that they would no longer release the Blue Label series. We also saw on Hacienda La Esmeralda's official website that the Blue Label has been removed from the product introduction, leaving only Red Label and Green Label Geisha grades.

Blue Label Geisha coffee beans can be considered the entry-level version of Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha, with citrus fruit acidity, white floral aromas, honey sweetness, and green tea aftertaste. Previously, FrontStreet Coffee sold fresh roasted washed Blue Label coffee beans at 108 yuan per 100g, and a cup in FrontStreet Coffee's store cost 30 yuan (brewed with 15g of coffee grounds).

Beyond Geisha: Diamond Mountain

In fact, besides the famous Geisha, Hacienda La Esmeralda also has a brand with excellent value for money, called "Diamond Mountain." Browsing Hacienda La Esmeralda's official website, the estate first divides coffee by variety into two categories: Geisha and Catuai. Under the Geisha category, there are Esmeralda Special, Private Collection, and Geisha 1500, commonly known as Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label.

Today's topic focuses on coffee beyond Geisha. Under the Catuai category, there are two brands: Diamond Mountain and Palmyra. The Catuai coffee variety has been cultivated in Panama for a long time and is widely loved for its high yield, disease resistance, and clean, bright character.

FrontStreet Coffee: Panama·Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Diamond Mountain

Region: Panama, Boquete

Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda

Altitude: 1400-1700 meters

Variety: Catuai, Caturra

Processing: Natural processing

Geisha Pour-Over Brewing Guide

FrontStreet Coffee's barista's Geisha pour-over notes:

FrontStreet Coffee's flavor descriptions for each coffee are based on freshly roasted beans. If coffee beans have been stored for more than a month, some aroma may have been lost, making it difficult to reproduce the original flavors during brewing. FrontStreet Coffee understands the importance of freshness, so we ensure only coffee beans roasted within 5 days are shipped, allowing everyone to enjoy the complete flavor window upon receipt. Geisha coffee is world-renowned for its rich floral notes and complex fruit characteristics. FrontStreet Coffee's roasters hope to preserve more of Geisha's quality acidity, thus choosing medium-light roasting (with slight adjustments for different batches).

To increase the extraction rate of Geisha coffee while avoiding over-extraction and highlighting the layers of sweet and sour flavors, FrontStreet Coffee's baristas use the V60 dripper. The V60 dripper features flow ribs connecting the top and bottom and a large central hole that accelerates water flow, while the spiral-shaped air channel design extends the water flow path, increasing contact time between coffee grounds and hot water. Each water stream converges along the grooves toward the center point of the dripper, concentrating pressure on the coffee grounds and extracting coffee with richer layers.

Below, FrontStreet Coffee demonstrates the brewing steps for the Esmeralda Natural Red Label Geisha served in their store. You can reference and compare with your own brewing approach.

Parameters for Red Label Geisha pour-over: Dripper: V60, Water temperature: 91-92°C, Coffee amount: 15g, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:16, Grind size: Fine sugar (sifted through #20 sieve to 80%)

Three-stage extraction: First, pour 15g of coffee grounds into the dripper and zero the scale. In the first stage, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, starting the timer simultaneously. Use a small water stream to pour from the center point outward in circles, ensuring the entire coffee bed is moistened.

In the second stage, use a slightly larger water stream to pour 120g of water, aiming to raise the entire coffee bed. The water column needs to be poured vertically and evenly, with the scale showing 150g at this point, completing the pour around 55 seconds.

When the liquid level drops to halfway, begin the third stage by pouring 90g of water in small circles, trying to control the water stream to not be too large, as this can easily scatter the coffee bed and cause under-extraction. The final total water amount is 240g, with the drip completion time around 2 minutes and 10 seconds. After removing the dripper, shake the coffee liquid in the sharing pot evenly before tasting.

Important Notice :

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