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Geisha Coffee Variety: Origin, Flavor Profile and Cultivation

September 25, 2014
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What makes the geisha coffee variety different from other trees?

Geisha is a rare coffee variety that originated in the wild coffee forests of Ethiopia, and its name likely comes from a small local village called Geisha. The tree grows tall with long, narrow leaves, wide spacing between branches, and strong resistance to coffee leaf rust. Its green beans are slender, and roasting releases an intense fruity aroma, sometimes described as sweet like roasted sweet potato.

The variety's extremely low yield per unit area keeps it out of large-scale commercial trade. Geisha coffee is currently grown only in small quantities in Panama, Jamaica, Malawi, Kenya, and Guatemala, where estates such as Clydesdale in Jamaica, Don Pachi in Panama, and Sant'Angelo in Guatemala keep plantings limited and selective.

Geisha is a rare and highly regarded coffee variety, originally from the wild coffee forests of Ethiopia, and its name is said to come from a small local village called Geisha. This coffee tree is tall with long, narrow leaves, has strong resistance to coffee leaf rust, and wide spacing between branches. The green beans are slender, and after roasting they give off an intense and powerful fruity aroma, which some describe as having a sweet scent like roasted sweet potato. Because its yield per unit is extremely low, Geisha is difficult to acquire on a large commercial scale, and it is currently grown only in small quantities in places such as Panama, Jamaica, Malawi, Kenya, and Guatemala. Front Street Coffee continues to follow this variety, and this article will give you a comprehensive understanding of Geisha's origins, plant characteristics, flavor profile, and cultivation around the world.

Geisha belongs to a precious wild coffee variety originating from Ethiopia, and its name is very likely taken from a small village called Geisha near where the bean was discovered. This coffee tree grows quite tall, has slender leaves, is resistant to coffee leaf rust, and also has relatively wide spacing between the branches on the main trunk.

The green beans are slender in shape, and after roasting they display a strong and rich fruity aroma. In my personal experience, it has a distinct sweet aroma like roasted sweet potato, which is also my favorite flavor. Because this variety's yield per unit area is extremely low, it cannot be a major commodity for commercial trade. At present, it is cultivated only on a small scale in countries such as Panama, Jamaica, Malawi, Kenya, and Guatemala.

Geisha coffee trees grown at Jamaica Blue Mountain Clydesdale Estate:

Geisha green beans produced by Clydesdale Estate:

Geisha coffee trees at Panama Don Pachi Estate:

Geisha coffee trees at the Coffee Research Institute of Auguras Estate in Kenya:

Geisha green beans from Sant'Angelo Estate in Guatemala:

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

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