LILY GEISHA: Ninety Plus Panama Washed

Lily Geisha is produced by Joseph Brodsky at Estate #60, Ninety Plus Estates in Volcan Valley, Panama.

The washed process utilized in the production of this coffee paired with a 33-day drying cycle results in a highly elegant and refined coffee experience.

Lily has a nuanced and tea-like geisha cup profile with a sweet finish that seems to linger forever, and makes you immediately want another cup!

Tasting Notes: Lily, Orange Candy, Apricot, Honey

Cup score:  93.00 ☕ 

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. 

When we cupped Lily Geisha for the first time, we immediately understood why their geisha were used to win the first of 5 world Brewers Cup Championships in the last 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 Washed Process

Washed processed coffee is a method of processing coffee known for producing a clean and bright flavor profile with typical citrus and floral notes. The process starts with freshly picked coffee cherries, which are sorted and then passed through a pulping machine to remove the outer layer of fruit. The seeds are then rinsed with water to remove any remaining fruit before being placed in large fermentation tanks. During the fermentation process, which typically lasts between 12 and 48 hours, and does not include water, thus dry-fermentation, enzymes break down the remaining layers of fruit and mucilage, leaving the seeds clean and ready for drying. After fermentation, the beans are rewashed to remove any remaining debris.

This traditional process can be combined with our ThermolicTM and CriolicTM processes to add more depth. Combined with our FolioTM versions of those
processes, it can enhance the flavor experience of the cups produced to new highs.

Seeds are placed on top-level until reaching 18% humidity and gradually moving to lower levels to extend drying time. They are agitated every 2 hours during the daytime. Typically, drying takes 20-25 days until coffee in parchment reaches 11.5% humidity.

The first success of a Thermolic WashedTM process was made in 2014 when coffee from Ninety Plus Gesha Estates in Panama was used to win the 2014 World Brewers Cup in Rimini. This coffee was the first ever gesha from Panama that was used to win the brewers cup.

TRANSPARENCY REPORT

☠️ Single Origin from Panama

☠️ Region: Volcán Valley

☠️ Producer: Ninety Plus

☠️ Farm: Estate #60, Gesha Estates

☠️ Lot: #23192

☠️ Roast: Light

☠️ Brew: Filter

☠️ Varietal: Geisha

☠️ Process: Washed

☠️ Cup Score: 93.00

☠️ Tasting notes:

• Lily
• Orange Candy
• Apricot
• Honey

☠️ Altitude: 1490 Masl

☠️ Harvest: March 2023

☠️ Whole Bean