Introduction:Have you heard of "90+ coffee beans" but aren’t quite sure where they come from? This article delves into the brand’s founding background, processing techniques, and the development journey of Panamanian Geisha estates, while also introducing a specific 90+ Geisha Eleta lot brought in by a coffee shop. We’ll share recommended V60 pour over parameters and a full flavor profile to guide you from origin to cup in understanding this top-tier coffee.
In the world of specialty coffee, the name "90+ coffee beans" is often mentioned by seasoned coffee enthusiasts or professional baristas, but do you really know the story behind it? In fact, "90+" not only represents premium coffee with cupping scores above 90, but also refers to a high-end coffee series launched by the company Ninety Plus, which includes 13 distinct specialty coffee beans. The brand was founded in 2006 by Joseph Brodsky, with the goal of revolutionizing traditional commercial coffee cultivation and processing methods to create a unique and consistently flavorful coffee experience from the very source.
What sets Ninety Plus apart is that they don’t simply purchase pre-existing coffee beans. Instead, they collaborate deeply with estate farms, getting involved in and controlling every step—from planting, harvesting timing, processing techniques, all the way to the final cupping stage. This nearly "custom-made" production chain allows each batch of beans to showcase extreme and consistent flavor profiles. For example, the renowned Aricha and Beloya were born through this rigorous process, quickly establishing their status in the international specialty coffee scene with their intense fruit aromas and delicate layers.
When it comes to the birth of the 90+ brand, one must mention the outstanding performance of the Geisha (Geisha) coffee from Panama’s Hacienda La Esmeralda at the BOP (Best of Panama) competition in 2004. Its astonishingly high score sparked a global craze for the Geisha variety. At that time, many in the coffee industry—including Joseph Brodsky—hoped to find their own treasure of Geisha. However, after Joseph personally went to Panama in search of beans without success, he turned his attention to Ethiopia—the country known as the coffee gene bank—believing that many lesser-known, locally grown varieties might hold untapped potential rivaling even Geisha. Thus, he traveled to Ethiopia in 2005, and officially established the Ninety Plus trading company the following year, kicking off his specialty coffee revolution.
Unlike many green coffee traders, Ninety Plus does not follow the conventional route of "selecting beans—cupping—purchasing." Instead, they proactively partner with estates, getting involved from the most fundamental stages of planting and processing. Through scientific and systematic adjustments tailored to variety traits, climate conditions, harvest timing, and ripeness, they develop exclusive processing protocols. This end-to-end control from "field to cup" has given rise to the distinctive flavors of classic lots like Aricha and Beloya, and rapidly propelled the 90+ brand to fame.
Subsequently, in order to further challenge the limits of extreme flavors, Joseph decided to grow Geisha himself. In 2009, he established the "90+ Geisha Estate" (Ninety Plus Gesha Estate) in Panama’s Volcán region, focusing on cultivating the Geisha variety and Ethiopian heirloom cultivars. This estate not only boasts an ideal growing environment, but also officially released its first batch of Geisha coffee beans in 2014, marking a milestone for the 90+ brand in the Geisha domain. To this day, the estate also houses the Ninety Plus Sensory Room (NP Sensory Lab) and the Solar Kiln lab, dedicated to developing innovative processing technologies that differ greatly from traditional methods and continuously pushing the boundaries of coffee flavor.
In 2019, 90+ achieved another milestone by acquiring the "Barú Estates" (Ninety Plus Barú Estates) located on the western side of Panama’s Barú Volcano. This land, situated at high altitudes and volcanic soil, provides richer mineral nutrients and a unique microclimate, further expanding 90+’s bean variety selection and flavor spectrum.
Speaking of actual tasting experiences, a coffee shop recently introduced the 90+ Geisha Eleta coffee bean—a truly impressive representative. This lot is processed using 90+’s proprietary method, and is recommended to be brewed with a V60 filter cone using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. The ideal brewing temperature is around 90–92°C, with a medium-fine grind (similar to sugar granule size), and a step extraction method helps fully unlock its layered complexity. Upon tasting, the first impressions are prominent longan and bergamot aromas, followed by the freshness of apple and the sweet lingering finish of dried longan. The overall mouthfeel is smooth with dynamic transitions, making it an excellent specialty bean for experiencing the flavors of high-altitude Geisha.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
