How Does Volcán Terroir Shape Geisha Coffee?

Geisha coffee is the variety that lifted Panama to specialty fame, and the Volcán region is one of its three main growing areas in Chiriquí Province. 90+ company founder Joseph Brodsky set up an estate there and released Eleta Geisha coffee beans. The region's dry, sunny climate, volcanic soil and 1,200 to 1,800 meter elevations give the cup dried-fruit sweetness.

The variety first drew global attention in 2005, when Hacienda La Esmeralda entered Geisha in a reliable of Panama competition and auction, scoring high enough to push prices past $20 per pound. Volcán sits on the eastern side of Barú Volcano, where mountains block Atlantic moisture, keeping the climate drier than nearby Boquete.

Panama rose to international specialty coffee fame thanks to the Geisha variety, and the Volcán region, as one of the country's three major coffee-growing areas, though less well-known than Boquete, has gradually emerged with its unique terroir. Joseph Brodsky, founder of the 90+ company, established the 90+ Geisha Estate here and launched series such as Eleta Geisha coffee beans. This article will guide you through the terroir characteristics of the Volcán region, the development history of the 90+ company and the Profile Processing system, as well as the flavor performance of Eleta Geisha and Front Street Coffee's brewing suggestions, suitable for readers interested in specialty coffee to read in depth.

In 2005, Hacienda La Esmeralda entered the Geisha variety in the Best of Panama (BOP) competition and auction, and its astonishingly high score quickly made this bean famous, while also breaking the coffee bean auction price record at the time, with the price exceeding $20 per pound. Since then, Panama coffee's position in the global market has gradually risen, becoming a dazzling producing country in the international specialty coffee field by producing high-quality Geisha. Such success naturally attracted many people to Panama to open their own coffee estates, and 90+ company founder Joseph Brodsky was one of them.

Volcán Region

Currently, there are three major coffee-growing regions in Panama: Boquete, Volcán, and Renacimiento. They are all located in Chiriquí Province, surrounded by three volcanoes: Barú, El Valle, and La Yeguada. Among them, the Boquete region is the most famous, and the renowned Hacienda La Esmeralda is located here.

In comparison, the Volcán region is slightly less well-known, but in recent years, its coffee has gradually attracted attention in the specialty market. The Volcán region is located on the eastern side of Barú Volcano, differing from Boquete, which also lies near Barú Volcano. Its northern side is blocked by mountains, making it difficult for moisture from the Atlantic to reach, so the climate is relatively dry. With abundant sunshine, coffee trees planted at altitudes between 1,200 and 1,800 meters, and fertile volcanic soil, the coffee from this region is endowed with rich dried-fruit sweetness and aroma. At present, the Volcán region is also home to many excellent estates, such as 90+ Estate, Hartmann Estate, and Janson Estate.

The 90+ Company

90+ (Ninety Plus) is the name of an American green coffee company. In the context of coffee cupping, 90+ means a score of 90 or above, and only beans with extremely outstanding quality and flavor can receive such a score, so many people mistakenly believe that the 90+ company only produces coffee scoring above 90. In fact, the beans from the 90+ company are indeed outstanding, which is due to their self-built production system—Profile Processing.

90+Profile Processing

This system was established by founder Joseph Brodsky in 2006 when the company was founded. Conventional green coffee buyers usually cup first and then purchase coffee beans whose flavor meets the standard, essentially buying high-quality green beans produced by others for resale. But 90+ took a different path: they do not purchase directly, but personally handle everything from green bean selection and breeding to processing, relying on their own technology to create high-quality coffee.

In the early days of the business, 90+ was limited in scale and lacked enough funds to engage in cultivation, so they started with the coffee processing stage. They purchased coffee cherries from nearby farmers, transported them back to the processing plant for fine processing, and thus Aricha and Beloya were born. These two coffees showed extremely intense fruity flavors, received enthusiastic responses after launch, and also made the 90+ company famous overnight. Afterward, as income increased, they began to get involved in the green bean production side, selecting farmers with potential, providing suggestions and technical support at different levels to farmers and processing plants so as to better support their own production, and every batch of processed beans would undergo strict screening to ensure that the 90+ company's output always maintained a high standard.

90+ Estate

In 2009, with years of accumulated technology and experience, 90+ established the 90+ Geisha Estate in the Volcán region of Panama. Because they had previously been unable to find a variety comparable to Geisha in Ethiopia, they decided to plant Geisha and apply their own techniques to this variety. In 2014, the estate began producing coffee beans, and the 90+ series came into being. At present, Front Street has two 90+ series coffee beans produced by this estate, namely Juliette Geisha and Eleta Geisha. Both use the 90+ processing method. Although the company has not disclosed the specific processing details, after cupping, Front Street speculates that they belong to the anaerobic natural category.

In 2019, the 90+ company acquired another new plot and established another 90+ estate. Because it is located near Barú Volcano, it was named Ninety Plus Barú Estates.

Front Street Coffee Panama 90+ Geisha · Eleta Coffee Beans Region: Volcán Region Estate/Processing Plant: 90+ Geisha Estate Ninety plus Altitude: 1,400-1,800 meters Variety: Geisha Processing Method: 90+ Processing Method Flavor: Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Pineapple, Longan, Dried Fruit, Apple

Front Street Coffee's 90+ Geisha · Eleta uses a medium roast, and Front Street uses a V60 with a 1:15 ratio and 92°C water temperature for brewing. You can smell the aroma of longan and dried fruit, and on the palate it presents flavors of bergamot and sweet orange; after the temperature drops slightly, flavors of pineapple and longan emerge, with an apple-like sweetness, offering rich layers and a long finish.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.