Panama Esmeralda Estate Single Origin Bean: Grading, Pricing, Green Beans, and Roasting Profiles

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Panama La Esmeralda Estate Single Origin Bean Classification, Pricing, Green Beans, and Roasting Profile

Introduction to Hacienda La Esmeralda

Hacienda La Esmeralda is situated in the Baru Volcano mountain range in the Boquete region of western Panama. The coffee fruits from this estate grow in the fertile volcanic soil and cool climate of the Boquete region.

Panama is near the equator with a tropical climate, but the Boquete region, due to its high altitude, along with the local topography and microclimate of La Esmeralda, experiences significant temperature variations. The estate's mornings and evenings are quite cold. Half of their carefully tended coffee gardens are located within forest reserves or national park areas. They are firmly committed to implementing sustainable agricultural practices and social responsibilities. Due to their dedication to the natural environment and special care, all of La Esmeralda's coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified (RFA).

The Geisha variety was first discovered at Hacienda La Esmeralda in 2003. The estate is currently managed by the third generation, Rachel and Daniel. Daniel is the discoverer who made the Geisha variety popular worldwide. Daniel and his sister Rachel conduct cupping sessions batch by batch, recording every batch of harvested coffee fruits, analyzing the flavor profiles between different growing areas and different batches. One day, Daniel noticed that one particular batch of coffee had a distinctive floral aroma characteristic of the estate, with a brighter and richer mouthfeel. After逐一检视后, he finally discovered that the unique aroma and flavor came from the Geisha variety, unveiling the colorful chapter of the Geisha variety, and La Esmeralda also stepped onto the stage to become a world-class star estate.

The Geisha variety, in Taiwan and globally, has become synonymous with top-tier specialty coffee. Good Geisha beans possess distinct "flavor characteristics" with notes of jasmine, peach, and orange exotic floral aromas. The aroma is prominent and delicate, and it is considered one of the best coffees in the world.

To this day, in the world of specialty coffee, it is well-known that Geisha originated from La Esmeralda. La Esmeralda has won countless first-place awards because of this Geisha variety, as follows:

Awards

Since 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda has gone on to win a great number of major coffee industry awards and to set several online coffee auction price records.

1ST PLACE RECORD

Every year around June is La Esmeralda's independent auction time (only auctioning Geisha varieties) (one of the few estates in the world that can be publicly auctioned online). This year, as usual, the overall selling price has generally increased (http://auction.stoneworks.com/ES2016/final_results.php). This year, Taiwan successfully bid on many batches, which is truly impressive.

La Esmeralda Products More Commonly Seen in Taiwan:

1. La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Washed (Varieties: Typica, Bourbon, Catuai)
2. La Esmeralda Geisha, mainly divided into 3 batches:
   • High Altitude (Red Label) batches (auction batches): 1600-1800 meters, cupping score above 90 points
   • High Altitude (Green Label) batches: 1600-1800 meters
   • Medium-High Altitude (Blue Label) batches: 1500 meters

ESMERALDA SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• 1st Place Specialty Coffee Association of America Roasters Guild Cupping Pavilion (2007, 2006, 2005)
• 2nd Place Coffee of The Year (2009, 2008)
• 1st Place "Best of Panama" (2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004)
• 1st Place Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004)

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

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

The pronunciation of Geisha is the same as the Japanese word for geisha, hence it is 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 owner's son, to participate in the annual Best of Panama competition, searched through all coffee tree varieties in the estate for testing, which gave Geisha the opportunity to take center stage. Subsequently, it participated in various world coffee competitions, winning a total of eleven championships.

Geisha has full-bodied 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 one of its typical cupping attributes. To date, Geisha has remained the champion among coffee varieties.

Panama is the most important region on the world coffee map. Coffee beans from annual auctions here fetch high prices of hundreds of dollars.

Additional Award Records:

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

Panama Geisha (Hacienda La Esmeralda)

• Origin: Panama
• Region: Located on the slopes of Baru Mountain, the highest peak in western Panama
• Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
• Grade: Blue Label
• Growing Altitude: 1450M
• Processing Method: Fine washed processing
• Special Certification: Green Rainforest Certification
• Roast Level: Light roast city-

What is the Panama 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 Panamanian Association of Special Coffees of Panama (SCAP). In 2013, the highest bid for washed Geisha in the BOP 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.

La Esmeralda Geisha has 3 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 from approximately 1500 meters altitude Geisha varieties.

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

Brewing Instructions for Pour-Over Blue Label:

15g coffee grounds, medium-fine grind (Komatsu Fuji ghost tooth grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, 91-93°C water temperature. First pour 30g water and let bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Panama Geisha (Hacienda La Esmeralda) - Product Details

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

Panama · La Esmeralda Geisha Coffee Beans

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 introduced it. Geisha didn't receive much attention until one day when Don Pachi brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica. Afterwards, Geisha entered Panama along the southern route, where Panama's Esmeralda estate separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship.

Flavor Description:

Oolong tea aroma, peach aroma, honey aroma - fresh and comfortable, bright and balanced, with extremely strong aromatic layers. The entire aroma is wrapped together with caramel sweetness. Upon entry, the tongue feels 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, refreshing to the heart and soul. The lower the temperature, the more delicate the acidity. the flavor is also quite persistent, making people feel very satisfied!

La Esmeralda Estate Introduction:

Price Peterson. The Peterson family purchased a coffee garden in the Jaramillo region north of Boquete in 1996, which they named Pequeña Suecia (Little Sweden) to commemorate their homeland. This coffee garden is located on the east side of Baru Volcano, with a cool climate and drifting mountain mist. As Mr. Peterson described, this newly included coffee area of La Esmeralda farm has excellent altitude and climate (1450-1700m). The coffee beans produced have an extremely elegant citrus fragrance after roasting. Interestingly, this old farm has various coffee tree varieties left by previous owners.

2002 was a turning point for La Esmeralda farm, thanks to Mr. Peterson's youngest son - Daniel Peterson. He believed that the coffee produced by the two areas of La Esmeralda farm (the original La Esmeralda estate in southwest Boquete and the newly added Jaramillo region in 1996) had always been harvested and sold mixed. While the overall quality evaluation was good, they weren't necessarily of equal quality and flavor. That extremely elegant citrus fruit aroma and sweetness should come from certain excellent coffees within the farm. So he began to conduct cupping evaluations of each growing area in the farm one by one. Finally, in several higher altitude valley areas within the Jaramillo garden, he discovered these tall, sparse-yielding coffee trees whose harvested coffee had excellent cupping flavors. After several inquiries, he learned that these varieties that thrive in high-altitude, low-temperature conditions were the later-famous GEISHA. In 2004, La Esmeralda participated in the Best of Panama-BOP cupping competition with these special coffees. Geisha's unique aroma and rich mouthfeel amazed the judges, winning the "Best of Panama" championship and setting a historical record of USD $21 per pound at that year's auction! This competition brought La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee great attention from the specialty coffee community! They continued to win BOP championships in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.

— Hacienda La Esmeralda is now the coffee estate with the highest award rate globally —

About Hacienda La Esmeralda

The old La Esmeralda estate is located in Palmira, Boquete, built by Swedish immigrant Hans Elliot. In November 1967, it was purchased by Mr. Rudolph A. Peterson as a dairy farm operation. In 1973, it was taken over by old Rudolph's son - Price Peterson. Price Peterson was born in 1936, grew up in the United States, and obtained a Ph.D. in Neurochemistry from U. Penn during his studies. In 1973, he moved to La Esmeralda in Boquete with his wife Susan Duff and their two children, Erik and Rachel. Daniel was their second son, born here in 1974. Although the farm was primarily operated as a dairy business under the Peterson family's management, the original old coffee garden areas always existed. After 1987, it gradually transformed into a coffee estate. In 1994, they established their own coffee processing and washing plant to handle the coffee cherries harvested from the garden areas. Besides Geisha, other varieties grown in the estate include Typica, Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon.

Panama

• Population: 3,406,000

Coffee in Panama is defined by how it is produced rather than by geographical divisions. Previously, when coffee was more widely grown and the regions listed below were smaller and more closely clustered, the coffee beans produced could be combined as one unit.

BOQUETE

The Boquete region is the most famous coffee-producing region in Panama. Its mountainous terrain creates many microclimates. The relatively cool weather and frequent fog help slow down the maturation of coffee cherries, which some believe resembles high-altitude climate conditions.

• Altitude: 400-1,900m
• Harvest: December - March
• Varieties: Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Geisha, San Ramon

VOLCAN-CANDELA

The Candela Volcano region produces most of Panama's food and some amazing coffee. The region is named after Baru Volcano and the city of Piedra Candela, and borders Costa Rica.

• Altitude: 1,200-1,600m
• Harvest: December - March
• Varieties: Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Geisha, San Ramon

RENACIMIENTO

Renacimiento is a coffee-producing region in the Chiriqui province that borders Costa Rica. The area itself is relatively small, so it is not one of Panama's main specialty coffee regions.

• Altitude: 1,100-1,500m
• Harvest: December - March
• Varieties: Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Geisha, San Ramon

Introduction:

In November 1967, a Swedish-American, California-born... He was the president of the Bank of America, Rudolph A. Peterson (1904-2003), purchased La Esmeralda from an estate built by Swedish immigrant Hans Elliot, as his retirement home. La Esmeralda is a historic coffee farm located in the small area of Palmira in the Boquete region.

In November 1967, it was purchased by Rudolph A. Peterson as a retirement residence and dairy farm operation.

In 1973, it was taken over by old Rudolph's son Price Peterson. Price Peterson was born in 1936, grew up and studied in the United States, obtaining a Ph.D. in Neurochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1973, he moved to La Esmeralda in his hometown of Boquete with his wife Susan Duff and their two children, Erik and Rachel. Old Rudolph's second son, Daniel Peterson, was born here in 1974. Although the farm was primarily operated as a dairy business under the Peterson family's management, the original old coffee garden areas always existed. After 1987, it gradually transformed into a coffee estate. In 1994, they established their own coffee processing and washing plant to handle the coffee cherries harvested from the garden areas. Besides Geisha, other varieties grown in the estate include Typica, Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon.

2002 was a turning point for La Esmeralda farm, thanks to Mr. Peterson's youngest son - Daniel Peterson. He believed that the coffee produced by the two areas of La Esmeralda farm (the original La Esmeralda estate in southwest Boquete and the newly added Jaramillo region in 1996) had always been harvested and sold mixed. While the overall quality evaluation was good, they weren't necessarily of equal quality and flavor. The unique, elegant citrus-sweet fruit aroma should come from a certain area within the farm. So he began to conduct cupping evaluations of each growing area in the farm one by one. Finally, in several higher altitude valley areas within the Jaramillo garden, he discovered excellent cupping flavors. In 2004, La Esmeralda participated in the Best of Panama-BOP cupping competition with these special coffees. Geisha's unique aroma and rich mouthfeel amazed the judges, winning the "Best of Panama" championship and setting a historical record of USD $21 per pound at that year's auction! This competition brought La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee great attention from the specialty coffee community! They continued to win BOP championships in subsequent years.

After the Peterson family took over this farm, they purchased and added 60 hectares of the Jaramillo planting area. Some of this area was previously used for dairy farming. After several major renovations of the entire farm, many areas that were later dedicated to coffee planting began to slowly harvest in 2003-2004. In 2002, the Peterson family's son, Daniel Peterson, proposed a new idea, believing that not all coffee-producing areas would have similar good flavors, but that several areas had more special flavors. So he began to cup the coffee beans from the entire estate. Finally, he found a small valley area at the highest altitude of the estate, discovering this special coffee flavor - which became La Esmeralda's best-selling coffee bean "Esmeralda Special." The coffee beans from other areas are also of very good quality, but not as stunning as "Esmeralda Special." We understand that "Esmeralda Special" requires many factors combined to produce small-batch micro-lot top-tier coffee, and of course, the quantity accounts for a very small percentage of this estate.

Important Notice :

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