Panama Hartmann Estate Caturra Red Wine Process Coffee Bean Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estate

For professional barista communication, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Introduction to Hartmann Estate

The story of Hartmann is as legendary as its coffee. Hartmann Estate is located in Santa Clara Province, Chiriquí City. Its founder was Mr. Alois St. Hartmann (Luis Hartmann). He was born on June 20, 1891, in the Moravia region of Austria-Hungary, now the Czech Republic, and died on May 25, 1970, at the age of 78.

After World War I began, he was abandoned as a young boy. Thanks to his mother, he was able to hide on a ship bound for Pennsylvania, USA, and survived. His two brothers both died in the war after joining the army. Luis Hartmann traveled through several countries with his friends until he came to Panama in 1911, settling in Chiriquí Province in 1912 and working mainly in the Candela area. He built the first small cabin in this primeval forest.

Today's Hartmann Estate is a family business, founded in 1940 by Ratibor Hartmann (son of Luis). In 1966, Ratibor married Dinora Zandi from Costa Rica. They had five children: Ratibor Jr., Allan, Alexander, Alice, and Kelly. Each family member takes responsibility for coffee cultivation management, harvesting and processing, and estate tours. A family estate that has been growing coffee for over 100 years is itself a legendary story.

This family business has a state-level cupping laboratory and sample roasting room. They rigorously cup each batch of coffee cherries, which ensures consistent quality of Hartmann Estate coffee and a continuous pursuit of improvement. Their scientific approach and nearly 100 years of family experience guarantee their excellent production.

A legendary estate with a state-level cupping laboratory and sample roasting room. Rigorous attitudes and strict standards ensure consistent quality of Hartmann Estate coffee.

This batch is a red wine processed Caturra variety. From the moment it's ground, it emits an extremely rich fruity wine aroma, accompanied by fresh smoky wood spice notes, plus the special berry sweetness from natural processing. Smelling it is intoxicating. On tasting, it comes with rich tropical fruit flavors, like a cocktail carefully mixed with passion fruit, mango, orange, and berry juices with peach wine - no, a cocktail from nature.

Red Wine Processing Method

Among all coffee growing regions on Earth today, very few have successfully experimented with red wine-like processing methods. After years of testing, this method can finally control the acid structure in coffee. Coffee fermented this way greatly enhances sweetness, cleanliness, and a multi-layered, complex yet elegant acidity. The fermentation method significantly improves the quality and uniqueness of the coffee.

The red wine processing method is also called the controlled fermentation method, or lactic/acetic acid fermentation method.

The experimental team is led by American Felipe Sardi and consists of biological scientists and ecologists. They apply solar energy and other technologies to cultivation and green bean processing.

The specialized hand-picking team is trained and strictly follows specialty coffee harvesting requirements: unripe cherries <2%, defective beans <3%, floaters <5%.

Acetic Acid Fermentation Method - Aerobic Fermentation

Lactic Acid Fermentation Method - Anaerobic Fermentation

Expected Flavor Profiles:

Acetic acid fermentation: Cleaner, lively acidity, brighter acidity, citric acid.

Lactic acid fermentation: More rounded mouthfeel, lower cleanliness than acetic acid fermentation, higher body, malic/tartaric acid.

Previously, processing plants used traditional manual methods passed down through generations, such as biting the beans to gauge the fermentation degree. This approach is uncontrollable and variable.

The controlled fermentation method uses pH control to monitor fermentation degree, achieving predictable results and consistent production for each batch.

About Caturra Variety

Caturra is a single-gene variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. It has better yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, and the plants are shorter, making harvesting easier. Like Bourbon, unfortunately, it has the problem of biennial production cycles. It has strong adaptability, however, doesn't need shade trees, and can thrive under direct sunlight, earning it the name "Sun Coffee." It adapts to high-density planting but requires more fertilizer, raising costs, so farmers initially had low acceptance.

In the 1970s, when bean prices soared, farmers switched to Caturra to increase yields. With vigorous promotion by Brazilian and Colombian authorities, results were abundant. Farmers accepting Caturra meant a major change in cultivation techniques. Brazil and Colombia adopted high-yield, high-density sun planting. By 1990, one million hectares could harvest 14 million bags of coffee beans, increasing production capacity by 60%. No wonder high-yield, high-quality Caturra has become a variety relied upon by producing countries.

Caturra suits cultivation from low altitudes of 700 meters to high altitudes of 1700 meters, with strong altitude adaptability. The higher the altitude, the better the flavor, but the relatively lower the yield - the destiny of specialty beans. Some in academia call Caturra the intensive, sun-exposed version of Bourbon, which hits the nail on the head. There is also a yellow Caturra variant (Caturra Amarello) in Central and South America, but its reputation is not as good as Yellow Bourbon.

When Caturra is lightly roasted, its acidity is pronounced and the overall profile bright. With proper processing, sweetness can perform exceptionally well, but the body is relatively lower than Bourbon and mouthfeel cleanliness is somewhat lacking.

Typically, Caturra has red cherries, but in extremely rare areas there are yellow Caturras, such as the very few grown in Hawaii.

Brewing Instructions

Hand-pour Hartmann: 15g coffee, medium grind (Fuji Royal's ghost tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g water, bloom for 27 seconds, pour to 105g then stop, wait until the water level drops halfway before continuing to pour, slowly pouring until reaching 225g total. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Coffee Information

Country: Panama

Grade: SHG

Region: Volcán region

Altitude: 1250-1700 Meters

Processing Method: Red Wine Processing

Variety: Caturra

Estate: Hartmann Estate

Flavor: Smoky wood spices, berries, fruit wine aroma

Panama Hartmann Estate Caturra Red Wine Processing

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: Home-roasted
Shelf Life: 30 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Mouthfeel: Neutral
Coffee Bean State: Roasted beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Panama
Coffee Type: Other
Roast Level: Medium roast

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To try a high-end Panama coffee with a distinctive process, FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Boquete Washed Gesha is a fine estate-level choice, grown at 1600 meters in fertile volcanic ash soil and showing jasmine florals, green tea, honey, citrus, and orange. For a rounded, easygoing Panama cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Butterfly blends Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai from the Baru Volcano area and offers floral, black tea, berry, and citrus notes with low bitterness.

Brew either at 88-89°C with 15g of coffee and a 1:15 ratio, blooming for about 27 seconds and finishing at 225g total for a clean, balanced extraction.