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Hartmann Estate Introduction: Origin Distribution, Varieties, and Processing Methods

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional Barista Exchange - Follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat Official Account: cafe_style) Hartmann Estate Introduction The story of Hartmann is as legendary as its coffee. Hartmann Estate is located in Santiago, Veraguas Province, Panama. The founder is Mr. Alois St. Hartmann (Luis Hartmann). He was born on June 20, 1891, in Austria-Hungary

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Introduction to Hartmann Estate

The story of Hartmann is as legendary as its coffee. Hartmann Estate is located in Santa Clara Province, Chiriquí City. The 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; he 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 managed to hide on a ship bound for Pennsylvania, USA, and survived. His two brothers both died in the war after joining the military. Luis Hartmann traveled through several countries with his friends until he arrived in Panama in 1911 and settled in Chiriquí Province in 1912, mainly active in the Candelaria 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 Alois). In 1966, Ratibor married Dinora Sandi from Costa Rica. They had five children: Ratibor Jr., Allan, Alexander, Alice, and Kelly. Each family member takes responsibility for different aspects of coffee growing management, harvest 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 every batch of coffee cherries, ensuring stable quality at Hartmann Estate while continuously seeking improvement. Their scientific approach to coffee and nearly 100 years of family experience guarantee their excellent products.

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

This Batch Characteristics

This batch is a red wine processed Caturra variety. From the first grind, it releases an extremely rich fruit wine aroma, accompanied by fresh smoked wood spice notes, plus the special berry sweet fragrance from natural processing. Just smelling it is intoxicating. Upon tasting, it reveals rich tropical fruit flavors, like a cocktail carefully blended with passion fruit, mango, orange, and berry juices with peach wine! No, this is a cocktail from nature itself!

Red Wine Processing Method

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

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

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

A dedicated manual harvesting team has been trained and strictly follows specialty coffee bean 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 method: cleaner, lively acidity, brighter acidity, citric acid

Lactic acid fermentation method: rounder mouthfeel, slightly lower cleanliness compared to acetic acid fermentation, higher body, malic/tartaric acid

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

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

Caturra Variety

Caturra is a single-gene variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. It has better yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, with shorter trees that facilitate harvesting. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it has the problem of biennial production cycles. However, it has strong adaptability, doesn't require shade trees, and can thrive in direct sunlight, earning it the name "Sun Coffee." It can adapt to high-density planting but requires more fertilizer, increasing costs, so farmers initially had low acceptance.

However, in the 1970s when coffee prices soared, farmers switched to Caturra to increase yields. With strong promotion by Brazilian and Colombian authorities, results were abundant. Farmers' acceptance of Caturra meant a major transformation in cultivation techniques. Brazil and Colombia adopted high-yield, high-density sun-grown cultivation. By 1990, one million hectares could harvest 14 million bags of coffee beans, increasing production by 60%. No wonder high-yield, high-quality Caturra has become a variety that producing countries rely on.

Caturra is suitable for planting from low altitudes of 700 meters to high altitudes of 1700 meters. It has strong altitude adaptability—the higher the altitude, the better the flavor, but relatively lower yield, which is the destiny of specialty beans. Academics call Caturra the intensive, sun-grown version of Bourbon—a sharp observation. 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 lightly roasted, Caturra shows distinct acidity, overall brightness, and with proper processing, can exhibit excellent sweetness. However, its body is relatively low compared to Bourbon, and its mouthfeel cleanliness is somewhat lacking.

Typically, Caturra cherries are red, but in extremely rare areas, there are yellow Caturras. For example, Hawaii grows very small amounts of yellow Caturra.

Brewing Instructions

Hand-pour Hartmann: 15g coffee, medium grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g water, 27-second bloom. Pour to 105g then stop. Wait until the water level drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until 225g. Discard the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.