Introduction:In 2021, the Blue Label Geisha from Finca Las Piedras was quietly renamed Las Rocas, sparking curiosity among many coffee enthusiasts. This article delves into the reasons behind the rebranding of the Blue Label, compares the grade differences and flavor profiles of the Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label, and provides expert pour over recommendations and extraction parameters tailored for the newly washed-process Las Rocas Geisha. This will help you better understand this classic Geisha from the volcanic region and discover your own brewing style.
In 2020, Panama’s renowned Finca Las Piedras first introduced a natural-processed version of its Blue Label Geisha series, thrilling many coffee lovers who adore Geisha but have budget constraints. However, by 2021, the farm announced that only the Red Label and Green Label would be available in that year’s Geisha product line, with no Blue Label in sight, leading to widespread market speculation.
Soon after, a Panamanian Geisha named Las Rocas appeared on the market, with an unfamiliar appearance and information. But upon closer investigation, it turned out that this newly launched Las Rocas Geisha was actually the original Finca Las Piedras Blue Label batch, rebranded and repackaged before re-entering the market.
To understand the background of this rebranding, we must first revisit how Finca Las Piedras classifies its Geisha products. The Red Label Geisha, also known as Finca Las Piedras Special Selection Geisha, is grown at an altitude of1600 to 1800 meters, with cupping scores required to reach90 points or above. It primarily comes from two famous growing regions: Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes. This grade of Geisha often appears in independent auctions, but non-auction versions of the Red Label also come from the same plots—they simply did not go through the auction process, making them relatively more affordable while still delivering outstanding flavor profiles, characterized mainly by brightfloral and citrus notes, and available in either natural or washed processing methods.
The Green Label Geisha is positioned as a private collection series. It is also grown at an altitude of1600 to 1800 meters, but unlike the Red Label, the Green Label is a blend of multiple small lots, making it impossible to trace back to specific micro-plots. As a result, each batch may have slightly different flavor profiles. Sometimes you might taste something similar to the Red Label, other times it may differ somewhat—this unpredictability is part of the Green Label’s charm. The Green Label also offers the classicfloral, fruity, citrus acidity, and full bodycharacteristics of Geisha, with both washed and natural processing options.
As for the once highly anticipated Blue Label Geisha, its official brand name is Geisha 1500, grown at an altitude of1400 to 1500 meters, sourced from a blend of lots from three plots: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo. Compared to the Red and Green Labels, the Blue Label is slightly inferior in terms of altitude and micro-region conditions, resulting in a more moderate flavor profile, often featuringsubtle floral notes, fruity acidity, and sweetness, with a less complex mouthfeel, though it still retains the essential characteristics of Geisha, and is processed using both natural and washed methods.
So, what happened to the Blue Label Geisha that was originally supposed to be released in 2021? In fact, the Blue Label didn’t disappear—it reappeared under the new brand name Las Rocas. This renamed Geisha is still produced by Finca Las Piedras, continuing to use the same Blue Label bean source—that is, the blend of lots from Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo—but the processing method has been changed to washed, presenting the unique personality of Geisha with a purer flavor profile.
For coffee enthusiasts who enjoy pour over brewing, this Las Rocas washed Geisha offers a clear direction for extraction. It is recommended to usemedium-fine grind size(similar to the coarseness of granulated sugar), withwater heated to 90 to 93°C, and abrew ratio of 1:15 to 1:16. During the brewing process, a three-stage pouring method can be employed: first wetting the coffee grounds for about 30 seconds, then slowly pouring in two to three increments, with the total brew time controlled between2 minutes 30 seconds and 3 minutes. This helps fully highlight the clean acidity and delicate fruitiness brought out by the washed processing.
Overall, although Finca Las Piedras no longer releases the Blue Label Geisha starting in 2021, through the new name Las Rocas, we can still enjoy the flavors of Geisha from the same high-quality micro-regions. Whether you are a loyal fan of the Red Label or particularly fond of the Blue Label, the product behind this rebranding still maintains a high standard of flavor, just waiting for you to explore the charm of this volcanic-soil-grown Geisha with the right pour over technique.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
