Jasmine Aroma Geisha Specialty Coffee: Grind Size, Roast Level, and Processing Method Introduction

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In 2001, Panama's La Esmeralda Estate discovered Geisha coffee through cupping results at their plantation. Also known as "Geisha coffee," it was named "Geisha" because it was speculated that this variety was collected from the Geisha forest in Ethiopia. Since "Geisha" has the same pronunciation as the Japanese word "geisha" (meaning "art person" or performer), "Geisha coffee" is also known as "Geisha coffee" in English.

Geisha coffee originated in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee and the genetic kingdom of coffee, where varieties are abundant. Therefore, many Ethiopian coffee beans are directly labeled as "heirloom varieties" in terms of their cultivar. The Geisha variety was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931. Geisha didn't receive much attention locally and was directly used as a windbreak forest until La Esmeralda Estate in Panama took notice. Subsequently, Geisha was sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, to Costa Rica in 1953, and to Panama in 1970. Finally, La Esmeralda Estate in Panama separated it from other varieties and entered it into competitions, where it became the champion of the BOP competition in 2004. It rose to fame overnight, and this is how Geisha entered everyone's attention and became a standout in specialty coffee.

Although Panama Geisha coffee beans were introduced and cultivated from Ethiopia, they still differ from the Ethiopian Geisha variety and flavor profile. Although the Geisha variety's flavor is delicate, such elegant flavor comes from specific growing conditions. The Geisha variety is quite particular about its growing environment, requiring cultivation in areas with high altitude, cloud and mist shade or extensive shade tree coverage, and fertile soil. High-altitude Geisha variety coffee exhibits distinct floral aromas and refined, elegant fruit acidity, so Panama's growing conditions are also an important reason for Geisha coffee's fame and one of the reasons for its global popularity.

Since Panama Geisha coffee became famous, many places around the world have begun to research and cultivate Geisha variety coffee, including multiple estates in Panama itself. The Geisha coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee has sourced include not only those from La Esmeralda Estate in Panama, but also from Colombia and Costa Rica. Of course, Ethiopian Geisha is indispensable, as FrontStreet Coffee already has over a dozen single-origin Ethiopian coffee beans, and more than 50 single-origin beans from around the world.

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the characteristics of these Geisha coffee beans:

Colombian Geisha Coffee

The "Flower Viewing" coffee that FrontStreet Coffee sourced this time is a blend of Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai. Initially, the estate planted Caturra and Catuai coffee varieties. In 2016, the estate owner and his team introduced the Geisha variety from Panama, and it wasn't until 2020 that they began to have harvests, reaching mass production stages in 2021. Therefore, this coffee bean can be considered the first time that Monte Blanco Estate has sold Geisha coffee beans to the market.

The Herrera family of "Hope Farm" in Colombia introduced Geisha coffee from La Esmeralda Estate in Panama in 2007. Although the initial attempts failed, after years of experimental cultivation efforts, they won first place in the "Coffees of the Year" competition held by the Specialty Coffee Association of America in Houston in April 2011.

FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian Flower Viewing flavor characteristics: Red pepper, chamomile, wo citrus, honey, almond

Costa Rican Geisha

Costa Rican Geisha coffee is also quite famous. Geisha was introduced to Costa Rica in 1953, even earlier than to Panama. Panama's introduction of Geisha began in the 1970s when Mr. Francisco Serracin from Don Pachi Estate obtained seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica and began cultivating Geisha coffee. Because of extremely low yields and the need for auction bidding, this bean can be said to be hard to obtain.

Costa Rica's coffee growing regions provide fertile volcanic ash from volcanic terrain, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall - all important factors for Costa Rica's production of excellent coffee. Costa Rica has been cultivating coffee for nearly two hundred years, and as an important economic crop for the country, the industry is very mature. Today, there are also many newly established estates, most of which have resources and are willing to cultivate Geisha variety coffee. The Mirasu Geisha blend, as its name suggests, mainly contains 50% Geisha variety. Besides Geisha, it also includes ET47, SL28, and MAICO varieties.

In FrontStreet Coffee's Mirasu Geisha blend, the Geisha variety coffee beans provide jasmine aroma, while other varieties enrich the strawberry berry fruit flavors. Additionally, the raisin honey processing method enhances the sweetness of this coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Mirasu coffee flavor characteristics: Jasmine aroma, with sweet raisin flavor and strawberry candy sweetness upon entry, nutty cream-like mouthfeel.

Ethiopian Geisha Coffee

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 and gradually spread to American countries and others. Therefore, besides Panama, Ethiopia is one of the most noteworthy Geisha coffee-producing countries. However, unlike Panama and other American countries, Ethiopia has numerous varieties and is primarily cultivated by small farmers, making it nearly impossible to distinguish whether it's the Geisha variety. Most are exported under the name "heirloom varieties." Adam and Rachel, the owners of Geisha Village Estate, began their search in 2008, and after three years of exploration, finally found an environmental system suitable for coffee growth in high-altitude tropical rainforests between 1900-2100 meters, with suitable climate, fertile forest soil, and long-standing forests. With the guidance and help of Mr. William, the "Godfather of Geisha," Geisha Village's coffee has achieved outstanding results in world competitions.

Geisha Village Estate is completely different from most Ethiopian farms - it's not a small farm but a large estate of over 400 hectares, with its own washing station and laboratory, located in the southwest near the Sudan border. Geisha Village divides the farm into 8 zones, with 3 main Geisha varieties. The Geisha selection comes from native coffee forests 20 kilometers away from the estate, which is also the origin of Panama's Geisha variety.

The flavor profile of Geisha Village Estate's Geisha coffee differs from that of La Esmeralda Estate's Geisha coffee. La Esmeralda Estate's washed Geisha coffee typically features delicate floral aromas, tea-like qualities, and almond-nutty tones; while natural processed Geisha often exhibits rich fruit characteristics, subtle floral notes, and when cooled, evokes ginger flower and citrus notes. Geisha Village Estate's coffee mainly features yellow stone fruit flavors as its base, reminiscent of yellow peaches, with medium to high sweetness, and better-performing batches even show toffee flavor characteristics.

La Esmeralda Estate

In 1964, American banker Rudolph Peterson retired, moved to Panama, and purchased La Esmeralda Estate located in Boquete, initially focusing on dairy operations. Later, his son Price resigned from his position as a doctor to help his father manage the farm. In 1987, they introduced Caturra and Catuai coffee bean varieties, and in 1994, established a washing station, thus having their own coffee processing facility. In 1996, they acquired the nearby Jaramillo Estate, which had superior geographical conditions and good original coffee variety flavors, and incorporated it into La Esmeralda Estate.

The reason Jaramillo caught the attention of the Peterson father and son was precisely because its originally cultivated coffee beans carried pleasant orange and floral-fruit aromas, different from the original taste of Panamanian coffee. After cupping coffee beans from different areas of the estate, they discovered that it was an unknown coffee tree growing at the highest point of the estate. Due to low yields, the previous owner had used it as a windbreak. The Petersons discovered it and decided to separately cultivate and propagate the coffee trees in this area. After winning the Panama Green Coffee Competition BOP in 2004, it achieved astonishing success. Later, after expert identification, it was discovered that this coffee bean was the Ethiopian Geisha variety. Subsequently, the Peterson family focused most of their energy on developing infrastructure to support excellent batch separation and fine processing.

La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Grades

After years of experimentation, La Esmeralda Estate discovered that only Geisha grown above 1400 meters altitude can exhibit its expected delicate flavors. Therefore, La Esmeralda Estate primarily uses planting altitude, supplemented by actual cupping results, to classify the Geisha coffee grown in the estate into three grades: Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label. However, in the first half of that year, La Esmeralda Estate announced the cancellation of the Blue Label brand. In the second half of the year, FrontStreet Coffee discovered a Geisha coffee named "Las Rocas" (Volcanic Rock) on the market. After rigorous investigation and cupping, it was found that Las Rocas does indeed come from La Esmeralda Estate, and its flavor profile is highly similar to the previous Blue Label.

Red Label Geisha

The specially selected Geisha from La Esmeralda is what's commonly known as Red Label. It uses Geisha coffee beans planted at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, with cupping scores above 90 points, produced from the Jaramillo and Canas Verdess regions. The independent auctions held by La Esmeralda Estate feature only the Geisha batches from designated plots that are put up for auction as the auction Red Labels. However, there are also non-auction Red Labels on the market today - these are actually selected from the same plots but not entered into auction, then circulated to the market. The variety quality is consistent, only showing differences in pricing.

FrontStreet Coffee has sourced natural processed Red Label Geisha from the Jaramillo plot. This grade of Geisha uses either natural or washed processing methods, featuring special, bright floral aromas and citrus notes. The natural processed Geisha coffee beans have even more complex aromas and outstanding sweet-tart balance. If you want to enjoy top-tier Geisha coffee flavors at a premium price, La Esmeralda Estate's natural processed Red Label Geisha is more classic - the natural processing makes Geisha flavors more intense, leaving a lingering fragrance after drinking that makes for an endless aftertaste. The La Esmeralda Red Label on FrontStreet Coffee's bean shelf comes from the same Jaramillo farm as the Geisha coffee beans that won the championship in the 2004 BOP competition.

Green Label Geisha

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, consists of non-competition batches - Geisha varieties that don't participate in auctions but still have excellent quality. It uses Geisha planted at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, produced from micro-batch blends from different plots including Jaramillo, Canas Verdess, and others. Although the Green Label doesn't reach the Red Label grade level, it still carries the classic Geisha flavors: floral, fruity, citrus-lemon acidity, and thick, juicy mouthfeel. Green Label Geisha is available in both washed and natural processing.

Compared to FrontStreet Coffee's natural Red Label, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Green Label is synonymous with freshness and elegance. The typical Geisha flavors are clearly discernible, with an overall very refreshing character, much like drinking oolong tea, making it the value choice among La Esmeralda Estate's Geisha offerings.

Blue Label Geisha

Blue Label Geisha uses coffee beans planted at altitudes of 1400-1500 meters, produced from blended beans from three different plots: Jaramillo, Canas Verdess, and El Velo. It features subtle floral notes, fruit acidity, sweetness, with a less full-bodied mouthfeel. In previous years, Blue Label Geisha was only available in washed processing, while the 2020 Blue Label batch added natural processing. In 2021, La Esmeralda Estate canceled the Blue Label Geisha grade. A few months later, a Geisha coffee bean named "Las Rocas" (Volcanic Rock) appeared. FrontStreet Coffee's baristas, after cupping and comparison, found that this "Las Rocas" has very similar flavors to the previous Blue Label.

FrontStreet Coffee's washed processed Blue Label Geisha has subtle floral notes, fruit acidity, and sweetness, with a less full-bodied mouthfeel, while the natural processed Blue Label has subtle floral aromas, distinct fermentation notes, and berry juice-like mouthfeel with high sweetness. FrontStreet Coffee believes that La Esmeralda Estate's new season introduction of natural processing for the Blue Label is undoubtedly a benefit for consumers. Previously, if consumers wanted to drink natural processed La Esmeralda Estate Geisha, they often had to purchase the expensive Red or Green Labels. The natural Blue Label allows consumers to buy La Esmeralda Estate's natural Geisha at a lower price with high value.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

For coffee brewing, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans to maximize the experience of the coffee's rich flavors. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee understands that the freshness of coffee beans greatly affects flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive it, it's at peak flavor. Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans, which is also fine. However, FrontStreet Coffee reminds that once coffee beans are ground in advance, they need to be brewed promptly, because coffee powder oxidizes relatively quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee's flavor will dissipate more quickly, and the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends grinding fresh and brewing immediately to better appreciate the coffee's flavor.

Panama La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Coffee Bean Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Dose: 15 grams
Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (BG#6S) (Chinese standard #20 sieve pass rate 80%)
FrontStreet Coffee brewing method: Three-stage extraction method

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring in small circular motions to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. Wait for the coffee extraction to complete, then remove the dripper. Timing starts from the beginning of pouring, with a total extraction time of 2'00". Next, take the entire cup of coffee, shake it well, and pour it into cups for tasting.

FrontStreet Coffee Hand-brewed Panama La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Flavor Descriptions

Natural Red Label: Bright rose and citrus aromas, brown rice, berries, apricot, complex fruits, honey, with a thick juice-like mouthfeel and rich flavor layers, with distinct sweetness.

Washed Green Label: Rich jasmine floral aroma upon entry, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juice-like quality, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, with overall rich flavor layers, and a persistent floral and citrus aftertaste.

Washed Blue Label: Gentle lemon and grapefruit acidity upon entry. As it cools slightly, oolong tea, honey, and cane sugar sweetness emerge, with a relatively clean and bright mouthfeel.

Natural Blue Label: Fermented aroma and fruity sweetness on the nose. When tasted, it has melon and tropical fruit sweetness with juice-like mouthfeel, with overall very high sweetness.

Important Notice :

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