MAROON GEISHA 2.0: Ninety Plus Panama Thermolic

Maroon Geisha is back!

This year's Maroon Geisha is even more defined, fragrant and floral. 

This is a result of the unique thermolic process developed by Joseph Brodsky at Ninety Plus Estates in Volcan Valley, Panama. 

Tasting Notes: Red Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Dried Rose

Cup score:  90.25 ☕ 

This coffee is grown without the use of any chemicals and one of the key growing elements at Ninety Plus is the use of Natural spring water and rainwater for their coffees. 

Coffee's from Ninety Plus Geisha Estates was used to win the first of 5 World Brewers Cup Championships in 6 years. 

About Ninety Plus Estates

Ninety Plus Estates was founded by Joseph Brodsky in Panama. Located on the western slopes of the Barú volcano, these are the first and only places in the world where heirloom Ethiopian varieties of coffee are grown under full forest canopy at this scale.

 Like massive ecological parks with coffee growing as part of the forest community, these pristine playgrounds include trail networks which connect experiential moments ranging from waterfalls and Precolumbian petroglyphs to giant trees, volcano views, and jaguar bathing pools. 

The Ninety Plus Geisha Estates were designed with inspiration drawn from coffee growing wild in its natural habitat in Ethiopia. The Geisha variety, along with all heirloom coffee varieties, comes from the understory of wild forests in Ethiopia. These heirloom varieties of coffee live very long lives – up to 100 years or more – and produce relatively small amounts of intensely aromatic coffee. 

Joseph Brodsky had an opportunity in 2009 to acquire this large property (~200 hectares) and had a vision of reforesting its historic cattle farming lands with native tree species while planting the shade-loving Ethiopian Geisha coffee beneath the canopy. With its first significant production in 2014, coffee from Ninety Plus Geisha Estates was used to win the first of 5 World Brewers Cup Championships in 6 years. Ninety Plus Geisha Estates proves that coffee can be utilized to reforest and sustain tropical lands while producing the highest-valued coffees in the world. 

About Thermolic Process

The Thermolic™ process utilizes heat to accelerate the breakdown of sugars and other compounds in the coffee mucilage. Using the sun or other means, freshly picked coffee cherries are gradually heated to reach the desired controlled fermentation temperature The Thermolic™ process is usually conducted in a temperature range of 30 to 50 degrees Celsius in an oxygen-controlled environment.

Among the first coffees produced using this method (other Notables are Nekisse Red and Perci Ruby) was the 2012 Semeon Abay from Ninety Plus Magokoro Estates in Ethiopia, used in 2015 - nearly three years after harvest - to win the World Brewers Cup in Stockholm.

Thermolic™ process coffees are rich in body and wild, often winey in flavour and laden with chocolate. Heavy and adventurous, Drima Zede is among the most known legacy Ninety Plus profiles in the Thermolic range. 

TRANSPARENCY REPORT

☠️ Single origin from Panama

☠️ Region: Volcán Valley

☠️ Producer: Ninety Plus

☠️ Farm: Estate #132, Gesha Estates

☠️ Lot: #23072 

☠️ Roast: Light

☠️ Brew: Filter

☠️ Varietal: Geisha

☠️ Process: Thermolic

☠️ Cup Score: 90.25 ☕

☠️ Tasting notes:

• Red Cherry
• Dark Chocolate
• Dried Rose

☠️ Altitude: 1350 - 1650 masl

☠️ Harvest: February 2023

☠️ Whole bean