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Panama Geisha Blue Label Coffee Beans Market Review and Best Brands

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional barista exchanges please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style) 【Origin】: Panama 【Region】: Located on the slopes of Volcán Barú, Panama's highest peak in the western region 【Estate】: Hacienda La Esmeralda 【Grade】: Blue Label 【Growing Altitude】: 1450m 【Processing Method】: Fine washed processing 【Special

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

Coffee Origin Information

Origin: Panama

Region: Located on the slopes of Baru Volcano, the highest peak in western Panama

Estate: Esmeralda / Hacienda La Esmeralda

Grade: Blue Label

Growing Altitude: 1450m

Processing Method: Fine washed processing

Special Certification: Rainforest Alliance Certified

Roast Level: Light roast (city-)

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 famous Special Coffees of Panama Association (SCAP). In 2013, the highest bid in the BOP washed Geisha category exceeded $160 per pound, while the highest bid in the natural Geisha category was won by a natural Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda at over $350 per pound.

Esmeralda Geisha Brand Classifications

Esmeralda Estate's Geisha has three brands, classified by altitude:

Auction Geisha (ESMERALDA SPECIAL) (Red Label): Selected from altitudes above 1550 meters.

Boquete Geisha (Green Label): Geisha selected from 1500 meters.

ESMERALDA 1,500 (Blue Label): Selected Geisha varieties from around 1500 meters altitude.

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, FrontStreet Coffee
Contact: 020-38364473
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 100g
Packaging: Bulk
Origin: Panama

Brewing Instructions

Hand pour for Blue Label. Use 15g of coffee, ground to medium-fine (Fuji ghost tooth burr grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water, let bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and pause, wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Coffee Details

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 aroma, peach aroma, honey sweetness

The Story of Geisha Coffee

The Geisha variety was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931 and then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania, and in 1953, Costa Rica brought it in. For a long time, not many people paid attention to Geisha until one day, Don Pachi originally brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica. Afterward, Geisha entered Panama along the southern route. Panama's Esmeralda Estate separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship.

Flavor Description

Features oolong tea aroma, peach fragrance, and honey sweetness - refreshing and comfortable, bright yet balanced, with extremely complex aromatic layers. The entire aroma is wrapped together with caramel sweetness. Upon entry, the tongue perceives distinct fruit acidity, which becomes gentle and rounded in the mouth. The fruity sweetness and aftertaste are strong, like swallowing a mouthful of fresh fruit tea - clear and refreshing. The lower the temperature, the more delicate the acidity. The flavor is also quite persistent, leaving one feeling completely satisfied!

Geisha Coffee Legacy

Geisha is pronounced the same as the Japanese word "geisha," hence it's also known as Geisha coffee. Because the tree variety is taller than typical coffee trees, it was originally planted in a small area within the estate and used as a windbreak. The estate owner's son, wanting to participate in the annual "Best of Panama" coffee competition, searched through all coffee tree varieties in the estate for testing, giving Geisha the opportunity to take center stage. Since then, it has participated in various world coffee competitions, winning a total of eleven championships.

Geisha possesses full sweetness, an extremely clean mouthfeel, and rich aromas that extend from berries and citrus to mango, papaya, and peach flavors. A very distinct bergamot-like aftertaste is also its typical cupping characteristic. To date, Geisha has remained the champion among coffee varieties.

Panama's Coffee Excellence

Panama is one of the most important regions on the world coffee map. Coffee beans from its annual auctions regularly fetch prices of hundreds of dollars.