Josh’s notes:
Welcome our new friend’s from Apollon’s Gold! After many years of sampling their coffees casually, I finally reached out and said hello. Luckily, these are very nice people. :)
The first coffee we are featuring from them is a stunning absolute banger of a Geisha. Competition quality indeed.
The smell of pink perfume roses fills the nose on bag open, along with a raspberry chocolate cake and the skin of a warm green melon. Very complex, addictive aroma that feels undeniably alive. Beautiful roast on these geisha beans too! Super even and smooth little elongated seeds, they filter through the hands like well machined ball bearings. On grind, an ultra floral aroma accented with that green melon/cantaloupe, which only strengthens as the brew goes on. In the cup, a nice note of lightly perfumed rose macarons, flanked by the juice of raspberries. This coffee is also very, very delicate and clean feeling in the mouth. Shines even more as it cools, with that cantaloupe taking center stage.
A fantastic first entry from Apollon’s Gold!
Please note, the roaster strongly recommends allowing this coffee to rest for additional time. We were able to pull these notes on coffee rested only 2 weeks, but we also feel additional resting (30ish extra days at room temperature) will take these beans to even greater heights. They just have that quality.
It goes without saying but this coffee is quite expensive and rare. I would advise to only purchase these beans if you are well versed in your equipment and have confident technique. Or if you have money to burn. If you love a delicate geisha but elevated, this is a real winner.
Also available from the same farm: Kotowas Estate "Duncan” Natural ETH47
Apollon’s Gold’s notes:
“Kotowa Las Brujas Geisha — Anniversary Special Lot: Celebrate Our Anniversary with the Season's Masterpiece. On August 13th, we are celebrating our anniversary! To mark this special milestone, we are thrilled to release our most exceptional coffee of the year: the Kotowa Las Brujas Geisha. Hand-selected specifically for our anniversary by our sourcing partner and SCA Academy coffee expert, John Vaz Matias (JV), this is undoubtedly the best Geisha of the season.
This Kotowa lot earned a phenomenal 93 points—the absolute highest score we have ever received from him.
"Las Brujas" – The Birthplace of BOP Lots: "Las Brujas" is an incredibly prestigious and exclusive terroir within the renowned Kotowa estate, meticulously managed by producer Ricardo Koyner. This is the exact same micro-region where Kotowa cultivates their legendary Best of Panama (BOP) auction lots. This coffee embodies the absolute pinnacle of Panamanian terroir and potential.
Roaster & Brewer's Notes: This is definitely the best natural Geisha we’ve tried. It showcases an incredible ripeness with fresh raspberry flavors. While the natural process characteristics are beautifully present, we feel the inherent flavors of the Geisha cultivar as much as, or even more than, the process flavors themselves. The natural process simply made the coffee taste more ripe and boosted those inherent qualities. In the cup, we get a tart raspberry body, vibrant rose florals, and juicy, sweet cantaloupe. The body is super clean and fruity—almost like a refined juice or tea—yet super sweet like raspberry jam. As delicate side notes, we also pick up hints of lemon, orange, lychee and a clean jasmine floral finish.”
Roast:
Roasted light and spectacularly by our friends at Apollon’s Gold in Tokyo, Japan, rested for 14 days, then vacuum packed and frozen. I recommend letting this coffee rest an additional 30(ish) days at room temperature after you receive it.
Josh’s notes:
Welcome our new friend’s from Apollon’s Gold! After many years of sampling their coffees casually, I finally reached out and said hello. Luckily, these are very nice people. :)
The first coffee we are featuring from them is a stunning absolute banger of a Geisha. Competition quality indeed.
The smell of pink perfume roses fills the nose on bag open, along with a raspberry chocolate cake and the skin of a warm green melon. Very complex, addictive aroma that feels undeniably alive. Beautiful roast on these geisha beans too! Super even and smooth little elongated seeds, they filter through the hands like well machined ball bearings. On grind, an ultra floral aroma accented with that green melon/cantaloupe, which only strengthens as the brew goes on. In the cup, a nice note of lightly perfumed rose macarons, flanked by the juice of raspberries. This coffee is also very, very delicate and clean feeling in the mouth. Shines even more as it cools, with that cantaloupe taking center stage.
A fantastic first entry from Apollon’s Gold!
Please note, the roaster strongly recommends allowing this coffee to rest for additional time. We were able to pull these notes on coffee rested only 2 weeks, but we also feel additional resting (30ish extra days at room temperature) will take these beans to even greater heights. They just have that quality.
It goes without saying but this coffee is quite expensive and rare. I would advise to only purchase these beans if you are well versed in your equipment and have confident technique. Or if you have money to burn. If you love a delicate geisha but elevated, this is a real winner.
Also available from the same farm: Kotowas Estate "Duncan” Natural ETH47
Apollon’s Gold’s notes:
“Kotowa Las Brujas Geisha — Anniversary Special Lot: Celebrate Our Anniversary with the Season's Masterpiece. On August 13th, we are celebrating our anniversary! To mark this special milestone, we are thrilled to release our most exceptional coffee of the year: the Kotowa Las Brujas Geisha. Hand-selected specifically for our anniversary by our sourcing partner and SCA Academy coffee expert, John Vaz Matias (JV), this is undoubtedly the best Geisha of the season.
This Kotowa lot earned a phenomenal 93 points—the absolute highest score we have ever received from him.
"Las Brujas" – The Birthplace of BOP Lots: "Las Brujas" is an incredibly prestigious and exclusive terroir within the renowned Kotowa estate, meticulously managed by producer Ricardo Koyner. This is the exact same micro-region where Kotowa cultivates their legendary Best of Panama (BOP) auction lots. This coffee embodies the absolute pinnacle of Panamanian terroir and potential.
Roaster & Brewer's Notes: This is definitely the best natural Geisha we’ve tried. It showcases an incredible ripeness with fresh raspberry flavors. While the natural process characteristics are beautifully present, we feel the inherent flavors of the Geisha cultivar as much as, or even more than, the process flavors themselves. The natural process simply made the coffee taste more ripe and boosted those inherent qualities. In the cup, we get a tart raspberry body, vibrant rose florals, and juicy, sweet cantaloupe. The body is super clean and fruity—almost like a refined juice or tea—yet super sweet like raspberry jam. As delicate side notes, we also pick up hints of lemon, orange, lychee and a clean jasmine floral finish.”
Roast:
Roasted light and spectacularly by our friends at Apollon’s Gold in Tokyo, Japan, rested for 14 days, then vacuum packed and frozen. I recommend letting this coffee rest an additional 30(ish) days at room temperature after you receive it.
