How does Panama geisha differ from Guatemalan varieties?

Guatemala's El Injerto Estate grows a Ruby Geisha whose beans are smaller than ordinary Geisha but ripen to a deep ruby red. Its dry-processed EI02-02 lot, harvested January to March 2018 at 1,710 meters, shows blueberry, raspberry, cherry and floral aromas with spice and a fermented wine note on the palate.

The estate holds Rainforest Alliance and carbon neutral certification and took third place at the 2017 COE. Geisha, also called Gesha, spread widely after proving its quality, while Pacamara was created separately. Coffee bean processing shapes much of the cup, so roasting recommendations and V60 three-pour brewing parameters help drinkers follow the estate's intended flavor.

Guatemala, as an important origin of specialty coffee in Central America, produces coffee beans with distinctive character thanks to its volcanic soil and diverse microclimates. This article focuses on El Injerto Estate, detailing the variety origin, estate history, cupping flavors, and award records of its Ruby Geisha coffee, and further explains the spread of the Geisha variety, the background of Pacamara's creation, as well as El Injerto Estate's own auction and unique processing methods. It also includes Front Street Coffee's roasting recommendations for Guatemalan coffee and V60 three-pour brewing parameters, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the flavor charm of this region.

Front Street Coffee: Guatemala · Ruby Geisha Coffee EI02-02 Lot

Name: Ruby Geisha Coffee - Dry Process EI02-02 Lot GESHA RUBY DRY PROCESS EI02-02

Estate: El Injerto EI Injerto Estate

Certification: Rainforest Alliance and Carbon Neutral Rain Forest Alliance and CARBON NEUTRAL

Award Record: 2017 COE 3rd Place

Lot: EI02-02

Harvest Date: January to March 2018

Variety: Malawi Geisha MALAWI GESHA

Growing Altitude: 1710 masl

Average Temperature: 13ºC to 26ºC

Rainfall: Average about 1500 mm

Growing Location: Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Guatemala

Historical Origin:

This precious exotic seed was personally gifted to us by a friend from Malawi. To extend its shelf life, a local traditional method was used, burying the seeds in soil and ash. Its beans are smaller than those of ordinary traditional Geisha, but when the fruit ripens and is ready for harvest, it takes on a deep red color like a ruby, which is exactly where its name comes from; at the same time, the plant itself is slightly smaller than traditional Geisha.

Cupping Flavor:

This bean's flavor and complexity are both quite outstanding. The dry and wet aromas are full of blueberry, raspberry, cherry, and floral notes, interwoven with a hint of spice and the fermented wine aroma characteristic of naturally processed beans. On the palate, jasmine, melon and fruit notes, and the sweet wine aroma brought by fermentation are very prominent, followed by a chocolate-like texture, with a faint mint note in the finish, making the whole cup more layered; as the temperature drops, one can also sense a transition to orange chocolate flavors.

Geisha Coffee

Geisha, also known as Gesha, is a rather rare coffee variety that only shows excellent performance under very special environmental conditions. It was first discovered in the Kaffa forests of Ethiopia, and first came to people's attention in the wild near the town of Gesha in the 1930s. Geisha is native to Ethiopia, and Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and a country with extremely rich coffee genetic diversity, which is why many Ethiopian coffee beans are simply labeled as heirloom varieties in the variety column.

The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia. At first, the locals did not pay much attention to it, and even used it merely as a windbreak, until the emergence of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda changed its fate. After that, 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. Ultimately, Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda separated it from other varieties and sent it to competition, winning the BOP championship in 2004, and from then on it became famous overnight. Geisha thus entered the public eye and became one of the finest in specialty coffee.

Geisha coffee originated in Ethiopia, but became famous because of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Panama Geisha coffee has a citrus and fruity sweetness without sharp acidity, along with honey and a rich mouthfeel, and is a coffee many people love. Compared with Ethiopian coffee, Geisha often has more of a juicy quality, like a cup of fruit tea, very smooth to drink and endlessly memorable. In addition to Panama Geisha, Front Street Coffee also has Costa Rica Mirazu Geisha blend coffee, Colombia Hanami Geisha coffee, and more. Geisha from different regions has different flavors. Although Panama Geisha is the most famous, Geisha from other regions also performs very well. Because each region has its own terroir characteristics, each has its own strengths.

Geographical Environment

Guatemala has volcanic soil, and its coffee beans naturally carry a certain quality in their flavor, which is also a major characteristic of Guatemalan coffee. Guatemala has eight coffee-producing regions in total, covering tropical rainforests, volcanic geology, highland valleys, and other landforms, thus forming diverse coffee flavors. Among them, the two most famous regions are Antigua and Huehuetenango. El Injerto Estate has always played the role of a pioneer of specialty coffee in Central America. About 50 years ago, it was one of the first estates to focus on single varieties and vertically integrated production of high-quality coffee.

El Injerto Estate has always played the role of a pioneer of specialty coffee in Central America. In the COE competition, they won 16 awards within 11 years. El Injerto Estate has a total area of 447 hectares, most of it located between 1,500 and 2,000 meters above sea level, planted with coffee, fruit, basic food crops, and ornamental plants. The remaining hectares are preserved as millennium-old primary forest. The estate has a special temperature curve and enjoys clean water from mountain springs .

In addition, this place forms a perfect habitat for wildlife, allowing coffee trees to be cultivated within a natural environmental ecosystem. The estate's annual rainfall is about 1,800-2,000 mm, and the relative humidity is 75%. The soil is deep volcanic soil, with good drainage and rich organic matter, producing beautiful coffee cherries.

Jesus Aguirre acquired this estate in 1874. He initially grew sugarcane to make panela, and the estate also grew corn, beans, and tobacco. Around 1900, he began growing coffee and called this planting area "El Injerto," a name derived from a local fruit. Since then, El Injerto Estate has been a leader in quality and innovation in the Guatemalan coffee industry.

Huehuetenango / El Injerto Estate

Among Guatemala's three non-volcanic coffee-producing regions, Huehuetenango is the highest in altitude and also the driest. El Injerto Estate is located on the Huehuetenango plateau in Guatemala's famous producing region. The Aguirre family has grown coffee there since 1900, and the estate name "Injerto" comes from a local fruit name.

El Injerto Estate places special emphasis on ecological protection and organic cultivation techniques, implementing strict quality control to ensure the quality of green coffee beans. Through Aguirre's efforts, El Injerto Estate has also earned Rainforest Alliance certification, and since 2002 it has been a frequent winner in many international coffee competitions.

El Injerto Estate, which has won multiple COE championships, is located on the Huehuetenango plateau. The estate began growing coffee in 1900 and is managed by the Aguirre family. A large area of primary rainforest is preserved on the estate, with abundant shade coverage from plants, and an average temperature of around 18 to 22 degrees Celsius. Abundant plant shade coverage, high-altitude cultivation, sufficient sunlight, and pleasant temperatures provide an exceptional living environment for coffee tree cultivation.

As coffee produced in one of the most famous coffee-producing regions, it has notes of berries, lemon peel, and fruity acidity. Compared with Ethiopian coffee, its mouthfeel is relatively fuller.

About the Pacamara Variety

It became world-famous in the 2004 Cup of Excellence (COE) and frequently won championships within 2-3 years. The Pacamara produced by Guatemala's El Injerto Estate set a sky-high price of US$80.2 per pound of green beans in 2008. Origin of the variety and name: it is a variety derived from Maragogype and Pacas, combining the first 4 letters of Maragogype and Pacas to form Pacamara. It is an excellent coffee variety developed in El Salvador. The beans are very large, close to Maragogype at about 21-22 screen size, and it has been an excellent coffee variety in Central and South America in recent years.

Although the Pacamara variety still looks quite similar to its cousin, the Maragogype. Since 2006, COE has cupped Pacamara from 30 estates, and some flavors are truly superstar-level, such as 2006 Honduras champion Santa Martha, 2007 El Salvador third-place Cerro Negro (Black Mountain Estate), and Guatemala CoE regular champion estate El Injerto, as well as 2008 El Salvador runner-up Pacamaral Estate. Listed one by one, these are all excellent representatives of Pacamara, but they are all award-winning lots, so the prices are very expensive.

Self-Organized Auction

El Injerto is also one of the few estates that holds its own online auction. Alongside the auction of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda, it is a must-attend event for green bean merchants worldwide. Starting in 2011, El Injerto has offered its highest-quality coffee lots for bidding, called the "El Injerto Estate Auction." These lots are carefully handled from variety cultivation, planting, and harvesting all the way to post-processing.

Unique Coffee Bean Processing Method

El Injerto hires workers at twice the local wage to hand-select fully red coffee cherries. It has an independent wet processing facility. After pulping and removing the fruit skin, the beans undergo two rounds of bean-size grading and separation, then are washed clean with clean mountain spring water, and then enter clean tanks. After fermenting for 2 days and sun-drying for 7 days, they are stored in the warehouse for at least 45 days, and only then sent for professional cupping.

Front Street Roasting Recommendations

Front Street Coffee has two Guatemalan coffees. One is the everyday drinking bean Huehuetenango coffee, whose varieties are Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai; the other is the single-origin Guatemala Flor coffee, whose varieties are Caturra and Bourbon. Guatemalan coffee beans inherently carry the nutty and cocoa notes unique to Latin America, with a slight floral fragrance and soft fruity acidity. Front Street uses a medium-light roast profile, preserving more floral and fruity aromas, with clean and bright acidity.

Front Street Brewing Parameters for Guatemalan Coffee:

Guatemalan coffee beans are medium-light roasted. Light-roasted beans have a lower extraction rate of coffee solubles than dark-roasted beans. Front Street recommends using a faster-flow V60 dripper, a higher water temperature, and a finer grind size.

Front Street uses a medium-fine grind / fine granulated sugar coarseness (80% passing through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve). Use 15 g of coffee powder, then brew with a V60 dripper, 91°C water temperature, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a three-pour pouring technique.

Use three-stage extraction. For blooming, use twice the amount of water as the coffee powder, that is, 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. The reason a blooming process is needed is to allow the coffee powder to release its internal carbon dioxide gas, thereby making the later stages of extraction more stable. Pour in a slow circular stream until 125 grams, then pause, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop. After the water in the dripper has finished dripping, remove the dripper. Start timing from the beginning of pouring; the extraction time is 2'00". Next, pick up the whole cup of coffee and swirl it to mix evenly, then pour it into a cup for tasting.

Flavor Characteristics of Guatemala Huehuetenango Coffee: Citrus and berry acidity, lemon peel, nutty aroma in the middle, and a tea-like finish.

Flavor Characteristics of Guatemala Flor Coffee: Berry acidity, citrus, slight chocolate, rich layering, and a smooth mouthfeel.

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