What Variety Is Aji Chili, and How Does It Relate to Geisha Coffee?

Aji Chili, also called Aji Bourbon, is not a Bourbon at all. The name comes from ají, Spanish for red chili, because the ripe fruit carries an intense spicy aroma. It first appeared publicly on the 2021 Colombia Cup of Excellence washed list, scoring 89.32 points for sixth place, grown by the Lasso family at La Guaca estate in Pitalito, Huila. Genetic testing by CATIE found no registration in any origin and ruled out Bourbon.

The grower, Jose Herman Salazar, bought the seeds from another Pitalito estate near the end of the last century and selected the spicy-fruited trees separately, assuming they were a Bourbon variant. Testing points instead to an Ethiopian Landrace. Front Street Coffee bought a small washed batch from Colombia's Finca El Diviso to cup it, so geisha coffee comparisons and the question of an actual chili flavor can be judged by roasting approach and tasting notes.

In recent years, a rather buzzworthy name has emerged in the coffee world—Aji Chili Coffee. Is it actually a Bourbon? Why is it also called Chili Gesha? Do the beans really carry a chili flavor? Front Street Coffee specially acquired a small batch of washed Aji Chili beans from Colombia's Finca El Diviso, peeling back the layers of this mysterious coffee—from its varietal origins and genetic identification to actual cupping flavors. The article also fully documents Front Street's roasting approach and tasting impressions, helping you understand the identity and taste of Aji Chili Coffee all at once.

To find out whether the suddenly famous Aji Chili actually has a "chili flavor," Front Street also seized the opportunity to purchase a small batch for a taste. These beans likewise come from Colombia's Finca El Diviso and are washed processed. Before revealing whether it's spicy or not, let's first explore what variety this "chili" actually is.

Why does the name contain "chili"?

Aji Chili is also called Aji Bourbon. "Ají" means "red chili" in Spanish, and the name comes precisely from its unique spicy aroma.

After checking the records, Front Street learned that Aji Chili first made its public debut on the 2021 Colombia Cup of Excellence (COE) winners list, scoring 89.32 points to take sixth place in the washed category that year. The grower was the Lasso family of La Guaca estate in Pitalito, Huila, and the farm owner's name is Jose Herman Salazar.

Around the end of the last century, Jose bought the seeds of this chili coffee from another estate in Pitalito, Huila. During one harvest, he accidentally discovered that the ripe fruit from these trees carried an intense red chili spiciness, so he decided to select, plant, and harvest them separately. At the time, the farm mainly grew Pink Bourbon, so Jose instinctively assumed this was some kind of Bourbon variant and named it "Aji Bourbon."

Does Aji Bourbon actually belong to the Bourbon family?

During the 2021 COE competition, judges found that the coffee Jose submitted was a variety that had never been recorded before. Subsequent genetic testing and comparison with thousands of samples from the local coffee DNA testing body CATIE confirmed that the variety had not been registered in any producing origin worldwide, but it could be determined that it was not Bourbon—perhaps a Landrace from Ethiopia. In the end, the COE official website also removed the word "Bourbon," leaving only "Aji."

It was not until March 2022 that the chromosome analysis report for "Chili" coffee was officially published, and the result surprised everyone—it turned out to be a hybrid of Congo Gesha and Ethiopian Gesha landrace.

Han Huaizong wrote in《The Fourth Wave of Specialty Coffee》: "Aji's chromosome sequence is very unique, sharing many chromosomal similarities with CATIE's Congo Gesha in the current database. The places where Aji's chromosomes differ from Congo Gesha can, however, be found in Ethiopian Gesha. So it is very likely that Aji is a hybrid of Congo Gesha and Ethiopian Gesha."

Because the identification results showed it contains two Gesha genes, people gave it another new name: "Chili Gesha." But just as with Pink Bourbon, although the genetic sequence has clearly shown it does not belong to the Bourbon variety, the name "Aji Bourbon" has long spread among growers and consumers, so the variety is still currently sold under the old name "Aji Bourbon."

So is this "Chili Coffee" actually spicy or not?

The coffee farmers who first encountered this coffee described it this way: when crushing the coffee beans, it felt like cutting red chilies, and both nose and eyes would itch. In the cup, these beans present flavors reminiscent of paprika, red chili, and pepper. (when you squeeze a grain, you have the sensation of the itching that the chili gives in the eye and nose and in the cup it gives note of paprika, chili and pepper. )

Just reading these words, Front Street could almost feel the spiciness in its body— what if it doesn't suit the constitution of Guangdong babies?

After receiving this Aji Chili Coffee, considering that it has rich fruity acidity, Front Street chose a medium-light roast profile to preserve more light aromatic compounds while not losing the nutty and spicy notes brought by caramelization.

Front Street Coffee: Colombia Finca El Diviso · Aji Bourbon Coffee Beans Origin: Huila, Colombia Estate: Finca El Diviso Altitude: 1,750–1,900 meters Variety: Aji Bourbon (Bourbon Aji) Processing: Washed Flavor: Pepper, mint, white chamomile, peach, lime, honey Cupping aroma of Aji Chili: Before grinding, Front Street smelled a hint of green pepper from the bean surface; after grinding into powder, the scents of pepper and clove rushed straight into the nasal cavity, followed closely by the aromas of white chamomile and lavender, with an overall fresh and unique profile. After pouring in hot water, the coffee began to release aromas of lime, almond, and herbs.

Tasting flavor: On the palate, there are flavors of mint, lemongrass, and lemon, with bright fruity acidity and a smooth mouthfeel; after the temperature drops slightly, a peach-like juicy quality becomes prominent, making the mouth water, and after swallowing, a maple-syrup-like sweetness can still be felt; as the coffee gradually cools, the flavor returns to a spice-forward profile, mainly pepper and cinnamon, with a slight fennel finish. Although the "spiciness" described by the farm owner was not perceived, the flavor experience of Aji Chili is indeed quite wonderful and deeply impressive.

Finally, regarding the flavor experience of Aji Chili Coffee, since Front Street has no plan to list it separately, only a small amount was purchased this time and placed in the store for everyone to taste, available only while supplies last—friends who want to drink it need to hurry in and report~

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