Geisha (Gesha) is not the name of a coffee drink, but a rare coffee variety originating from Ethiopia, now most renowned for the flavors produced in Panama and Colombia. This article provides an in-depth introduction to NINETY PLUS's proprietary W2, N2, and H2 processing methods and the L5 to L95 green bean grading system, and details the flavor characteristics, recommended coffee-to-water ratios, and brewing points of three Geisha coffees: W2-L21 Lycello, H2-L39 Juliette, and N2-L39 Perci Red. The article also shares Front Street Coffee's philosophy on recommending specialty coffee beans, making it suitable for coffee enthusiasts who want to gain a deeper understanding of the Geisha variety and high-end processing methods.
NINETY PLUS only supplies green coffee beans that have scored over 90 points in cupping.
Let's start with Geisha, also known as Gesha, with the Japanese translation "Geisha" as well. First, a common misconception needs to be clarified: Geisha is not the name of a certain coffee, but a coffee variety. In 1931, it was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia, and subsequently sent to the Kenya Coffee Research Institute; in 1936 it was introduced to Uganda, and later spread to Tanzania; it was not until 1953 that Costa Ricans introduced it, and Geisha set foot on the American continent for the first time, beginning a legendary journey.
The Panama Geisha that everyone is familiar with was first planted in the 1970s by Mr. Francisco Serracin of Hacienda La Esmeralda after obtaining seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica. Geisha is expensive first because of its extremely low yield, and second because it requires participation in auctions, making it very difficult to obtain green Geisha beans. Of course, low yield is only one reason; what truly makes it outrageously expensive is its flavor performance that surpasses all coffees in the world.
Currently, Geisha is mainly produced in Panama, Colombia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, with Panama and Colombia producing the most outstanding Geisha flavors. If you have a particularly deep impression of Geisha, you must still remember that last year Front Street Coffee obtained a Colombia Finca La Esperanza Blue Mountain Geisha, whose sweet aftertaste is still unforgettable. And this year, the NINETY PLUS Panama Geisha that Front Street Coffee obtained is even more loveable.
Let's briefly talk about NINETY PLUS's proprietary green coffee bean processing methods. The company currently uses three mainstream processing methods: Washed Process, Natural Process, and Honey Process. NINETY PLUS believes that coffee is essentially a fruit, so it named its three exclusively improved methods W2 (washed), N2 (natural), and H2 (honey). These three processing methods are believed to be familiar to many coffee enthusiasts; those who are less familiar can search the Weibo account "@Coffee Knowledge Encyclopedia" or look it up on Baidu. Don't always be a "taker"; Front Street Coffee is not SIRI, answering whatever you ask.
[Specialty Coffee] The NINETY PLUS Panama Geisha You Don't Know
Currently, the NINETY PLUS green beans that Front Street Coffee has come into contact with are roughly divided into L5, L7, L12, L21, L39, and L95 grades. If there are any we haven't encountered, then perhaps Front Street Coffee is just ignorant. Below is an explanation of the grading standards for these levels. L5: Generally uses mixed harvesting, meaning when the micro-lot green beans from a single origin are not sufficient to meet the flavor standards for separate harvesting and processing, mixed harvesting is used to enhance their flavor so that the cupping score can be maintained at a relatively high level; L7: Beans at this grade and above begin to use single-origin harvesting, with more delicate-flavored single-origin beans hand-selected and then subjected to NINETY PLUS's exclusively created processing methods, so that the cupping score can still remain above 90+; L12: Single-origin harvested, the green beans must be naturally flawless gems, and after NINETY PLUS's special processing, their flavor is further enhanced; L21: Single-origin harvested, currently NINETY PLUS's beans at this grade are generally seen in the Geisha variety, with even stricter requirements for the coffee green bean variety, already able to approach a zero-defect rate, so the green coffee beans produced are naturally not bad; L39: Green beans at this grade more commonly use the N2 (natural) and H2 (honey) processing methods. Under the standard of highly demanding single-origin harvested green bean varieties, more intense distinctive processing is used to give them more vitality; L95: NINETY PLUS's highest-level single-origin harvested green beans, also more expensive, representing everything about NINETY PLUS's quality, with extraordinary flavor. Front Street Coffee feels that no amount of words can describe green beans of this grade.
After understanding all this information, you must be extremely eager to know the flavors that Front Street Coffee is about to introduce. In the flavor description section, Front Street Coffee actually won't describe things in too much detail, because after you carefully capture each flavor yourself, the more subtle feelings are self-evident. NINETY PLUS's Geisha can definitely instantly kill other coffee varieties in the world. Don't compare those kopi luwak, elephant dung, and Blue Mountain beans with poor value for money to Geisha anymore. When Front Street Coffee selects green coffee beans, what we value more is the flavor, not the fame, nor the sky-high price that only the rich can show off. Of course, if you want to gift Front Street Coffee a few kilograms of kopi luwak, elephant dung, Blue Mountain, or even Geisha green beans, Front Street Coffee will still reply to you via private message: Rich friend, let's be friends!
[Specialty Coffee] The NINETY PLUS Panama Geisha You Don't Know
Alright, without further ado, let's get to the point, which is the flavors of these beans. The Geisha that Front Street Coffee is willing to sell this time are the three Geisha coffees W2-L21, H2-L39, and N2-L39, which offer relatively good value for money. Front Street Coffee feels they can easily surpass the Geisha from the well-known Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama.
For W2-L21 Lycello, when the green bean bag is opened, the green beans have a very beautiful emerald green, with a warm, jade-like feel, as if this is not a bag of coffee beans but a bag of jade, and a fresh grassy aroma and tea fragrance waft out from the green bean bag. This shows that aroma requires very deep associative power. Many people always feel they can't find the flavors that Front Street Coffee described when introducing other beans before, but they express another flavor instead; perhaps everyone's associative ability differs. To highlight this bean's characteristics and aroma, Front Street Coffee chose to drop the beans at the initial stage of first crack, with a dehydration rate of about 12%. This washed Geisha's fruity tonality is not as intense as imagined; instead, it performs nearly perfectly in acidity and floral fragrance—very bright yet soft fruit acidity, and a floral fragrance that makes one want to dance. Front Street Coffee recommends a coffee-to-water ratio between 1:15 and 1:18 for this bean, which better highlights its very full jasmine fragrance and citric acidity, and in the middle and later stages there will be more honey, cream, nut, and tea notes.
H2-L39 Juliette is the bean Front Street Coffee has been most looking forward to all along. Generally speaking, Geisha is more commonly seen in washed and natural forms; honey-processed Geisha is indeed quite rare. But honey processing in Front Street Coffee's impression always rounds off some of the green beans' original flavors. Unexpectedly, after coming into contact with this bean, it was truly stunning. First, after honey processing, its flavor was not rounded off; instead, it became even more intense. The recommended coffee-to-water ratio is 1:18 or weaker. The sweet citrus and melon-fruit aromas are very full, with Assam black tea notes, and the unique sweetness and mouthfeel brought by honey processing—refreshing and layered. Drinking it layer by layer, Front Street Coffee is reminded of a dignified and noble young lady, peeling off her garments layer by layer to reveal a beautiful body—utterly fascinating.
N2-L39 Perci Red is the bean among these three that Front Street Coffee likes best in terms of mouthfeel. Even the green beans have a snow pear aroma! Very surprising! Naturally processed beans always habitually surprise Front Street Coffee. Its dry and wet aromas are full of various ripe sweet floral and fruity scents, especially tropical fruits, apple, pineapple, mango, and bergamot. It has a very wild natural aroma, as if the aroma explodes in the mouth, leaving one speechless with its fragrance! The recommended coffee-to-water ratio for this bean is 1:18 or weaker.
If you haven't personally experienced drinking these three beans, I believe you can't understand why Front Street Coffee so highly praises NINETY PLUS's green beans. But drinking these three beans carries great risk, because you will feel that perhaps you can never love again...
Front Street Coffee feels that if you could never drink such beans again, it would feel like losing a lover.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
