Panama Esmeralda Estate Blue Label Geisha Washed Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estates

The Origins of Geisha Coffee

The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia, then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936 it reached Uganda and Tanzania, and in 1953 Costa Rica began cultivating it. For a long time Geisha drew little attention, until Don Pachi first brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica. From there Geisha traveled the southern route into Panama, where Hacienda La Esmeralda separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship.

Flavor Profile

Flavor Description: Oolong tea fragrance, peach aroma and honey notes make for a fresh, comfortable experience — bright yet balanced. The aromatic layers are exceptionally rich, the whole fragrance wrapped in caramel sweetness. On entry the tongue meets distinct fruit acidity that turns gentle and rounded in the mouth. The fruity sweetness and aftertaste are intense, like swallowing a mouthful of fresh fruit tea, clear and refreshing. The lower the temperature, the more delicate the acidity. The flavor is remarkably long-lasting.

Geisha is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for geisha, hence the alternative name "Geisha coffee." Because the trees grow taller than typical varieties, they were originally planted in a small area of the estate and used as windbreaks. The owner's son, wanting to enter the annual Panama's Best Coffee competition, tested every coffee variety on the estate — and that gave Geisha its chance to shine. Since then it has competed around the world, winning a total of eleven championships.

Geisha holds full sweetness, an extremely clean mouthfeel and rich aromas that stretch from berries and citrus to mango, papaya and peach. A very distinct bergamot-like aftertaste is another typical cupping attribute. To this day Geisha remains the champion among coffee varieties.

Panama: The Coffee Paradise

Panama is one of the most important regions on the world coffee map. Every year auction beans from here fetch high prices of over a hundred US dollars.

Awards and Recognition

Award Records: (The following are the award records of Hacienda Esmeralda.)

• Champion, Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Annual Cupping Competition
• 1st Place, Specialty Coffee Association of America
• Roasters Guild Cupping Pavilion
• 2nd Place, Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Annual Cupping Competition
• 2nd Place, Coffee of the Year
• Champion, Best of Panama
• 1st Place, "Best of Panama"
• Champion, Rainforest Alliance Coffee Quality Cupping Competition
• 1st Place, Rainforest Alliance for Quality

Brewing Recommendations

For pour-over brewing of the Blue Label: use 15g of coffee ground to a medium-fine consistency (Fuji ghost burr grinder at setting 3.5), a V60 filter cup, water at 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to halfway before continuing. Slowly pour to a total of 225g, avoiding the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, with a total extraction time of 2:00.

Panama Geisha (Hacienda La Esmeralda) - Specifications

• Country: Panama
• Grade: Blue Label
• Region: Slopes of Baru Volcano
• Roast Level: Light Roast
• Processing Method: Washed
• Variety: Geisha
• Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
• Flavor Notes: Oolong tea fragrance, peach aroma, honey notes

Panama Esmeralda Geisha Coffee Beans

Panama Geisha (Hacienda La Esmeralda)

• Origin: Panama
• Region: Located on the slopes of Baru Volcano, Panama's highest peak in the west
• Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
• Grade: Blue Label
• Growing Altitude: 1450m
• Processing Method: Fine washed processing
• Special Certification: Rainforest Alliance Certified
• Roast Level: Light roast city-

Panama Coffee Auctions

So what is the Panama coffee auction?

In 1996, during the lowest period of international coffee prices, seven coffee estates in the Boquete and Volcan regions saw the dawn of the specialty coffee era. They organized and formed the Panamanian Association of Special Coffees of Panama (SCAP). In 2013, the highest bid for washed Geisha at the BOP (Best of Panama) exceeded $160 per pound, while the highest bid for natural Geisha was won by a natural Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda at over $350 per pound.

Hacienda Esmeralda Geisha Brands

Hacienda Esmeralda Geisha has 3 brands, divided by altitude:

• Auction Geisha (ESMERALDA SPECIAL) (Red Label): Selected from altitudes above 1550 meters
• Boquete Geisha (Green Label): Selected from 1500 meters altitude
• ESMERALDA 1,500 (Blue Label): Selected Geisha variety from around 1500 meters altitude

Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Content: 100g
Packaging: Bulk
Origin: Panama

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Blue Label is the most approachable rung of the Esmeralda ladder, and FrontStreet Boquete Geisha delivers that same orange-blossom-honey character at an entry-level price — white coffee-blossom aroma, citrus, melon and honey sweetness with a caramel finish. If you want to go a step up, FrontStreet Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha comes from selected 1700-meter lots. Brew either as a pour-over: 15 g of coffee at a medium-fine grind (about 78% passing a China standard #20 sieve), Hario V60, water at 91°C and a 1:16 ratio. Bloom 30 g for 30 seconds, pour to 125 g, then finish at 225 g over roughly 2:10-2:20.