Panama Geisha Alto Jaramillo

Blind Assessment: Crisply and sweetly bright, exquisitely balanced. Tangerine zest, lavender, cocoa, cedar, fresh apricot in aroma and cup. Bright, delicate but juicy in structure; silky/satiny in mouthfeel. The quietly complex finish fades in the short but apricot and lavender revive in the long.

Notes: This coffee tied for the fourth-highest rating in a cupping of coffees of the Geisha/Gesha variety of Arabica for Coffee Review’s September 2019 tasting report. Produced by Agricolo Geisha. With its elongated beans and distinctive floral- and cocoa-toned cup, the Geisha (also Gesha) variety continues to produce some of the world’s most striking coffees. This is a wet-processed or “washed” version, meaning the fruit skin and pulp were removed from the beans immediately after harvesting but before drying. Caffè Luxxe is an Italian-inflected artisan roaster and retailer that emphasizes both its coffee knowledge and precision and its straightforward lack of pretension. Visit www.caffeluxxe.com or call 310-394-2222 for more information.

The Bottom Line: An impressively smooth, coherent structure supports a quietly pleasing set of Geisha aromatics. Should satisfy those who may find the full-on Panama Geisha fireworks a bit much but who still enjoy the distinctive character of this rare variety.