Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Single Origin Varieties, Brand Recommendations, and Estate Introduction

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Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Single Origin Coffee Varieties, Brand Recommendations, and Estate Introduction

Introduction

In November 1967, Rudolph A. Peterson (1904-2003), a Swedish-American born in California and President of the Bank of America, purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda from Hans Elliot, a Swedish immigrant who had built the estate, as his retirement residence. Hacienda La Esmeralda is a historic estate located in the coffee farming area of Palmira, in the Boquete region, until it was acquired by Rudolph A. Peterson in November 1967 for retirement living and dairy farming purposes.

In 1973, the elder Rudolph's son, Price Peterson, took over management. Price Peterson was born in 1936, educated in America, and earned a PhD in Neurochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1973, he moved to Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete with his wife Susan Duff and their two children, Erik and Rachel. The elder Rudolph's second son, Daniel Peterson, was born here in 1974. Although the farm was primarily used for dairy farming under the Peterson family's management, the original old coffee-growing areas always existed. After 1987, it gradually transitioned to a coffee estate, and in 1994, it established its own coffee processing wet mill to handle the coffee cherries harvested from the estate. In addition to Geisha, the estate also grows Typica, Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon varieties.

2002 was a turning point for Hacienda La Esmeralda, thanks to Mr. Peterson's younger son, Daniel Peterson. He believed that the coffee from the two main growing areas of Hacienda La Esmeralda - the original estate in southwestern Boquete and the newly added Jaramillo region from 1996 - had always been harvested and sold mixed. Although the overall quality was good, it wasn't uniformly of the same quality and flavor profile. He suspected that the unique, elegant citrus-sweet fruit aroma came from specific areas within the farm, so he began conducting cupping tests on each growing block individually. Finally, he discovered exceptional cupping quality in the higher-altitude valleys of the Jaramillo area. In 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda participated in the Best of Panama (BOP) cupping competition with these special coffees. The unique aroma and saturated mouthfeel of Geisha amazed the judges, winning the "Best Coffee of Panama" championship and setting a historical record of USD $21 per pound at that year's auction! This competition brought tremendous attention to Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee in the specialty coffee world! They continued to win BOP championships in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.

After the Peterson family took over this farm, they purchased and added 60 hectares of Jaramillo growing area, some of which had been used for dairy farming. After several major renovations of the entire farm, many blocks that were later dedicated to coffee cultivation began to bear fruit gradually in 2003-2004. In 2002, the Peterson family's son, Daniel, proposed a new idea, believing that not all coffee-growing areas would produce similar good flavors, but that certain blocks had particularly special characteristics. He began cupping all the coffee beans from the entire estate. Finally, he found the special coffee flavor in a small valley block at the highest altitude of the estate - the coffee beans that sell for the best price at Hacienda La Esmeralda, known as "Esmeralda Special." The coffee beans from other blocks are also of excellent quality, but not as astonishingly remarkable as "Esmeralda Special." We understand that producing "Esmeralda Special" requires the combination of many factors to create small-batch, micro-lot top-tier premium coffee, and of course, the quantity represents a very small percentage of the estate's total production.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Estate Introduction

Hacienda La Esmeralda is located in the Baru Volcano mountain range in the Boquete region of western Panama. The estate's coffee fruits grow in the fertile volcanic soil and cool climate of the Boquete region. Although Panama is near the equator with a tropical climate, the Boquete region's high altitude, combined with the local terrain and microclimate, creates significant temperature variations. The estate experiences cold temperatures both in the morning and evening. 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 responsibility. Due to their dedication to and special care for the natural environment, all of Hacienda 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 co-managed by the third generation, Rachel and Daniel. Daniel is the discoverer who made the Geisha variety popular worldwide. Daniel and his sister Rachel cup each batch of harvested coffee cherries individually, recording the flavor profiles of different growing areas and batches. One day, Daniel noticed that a particular batch of coffee had a distinctive floral aroma from the estate, with a brighter and richer mouthfeel. After careful examination, he finally discovered that the unique aroma and flavor came from the Geisha variety, unveiling the colorful story of Geisha and marking the beginning of Hacienda La Esmeralda's journey to becoming a world-class star estate.

In Taiwan and globally, the Geisha variety has become synonymous with top-tier flavored specialty coffee. Good Geisha beans possess distinctive "flavor characteristics," with exotic floral notes like jasmine, peach, and orange, with obvious and delicate aromas, and are 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 Hacienda La Esmeralda. Because of the Geisha variety, Hacienda La Esmeralda has won numerous first-place awards, 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 Hacienda La Esmeralda's independent auction time (only for Geisha varieties) (one of the few estates in the world that allows public online bidding). This year, as usual, overall prices have generally increased. Taiwan successfully won bids for many batches this year, which is truly impressive.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Products Commonly Seen in Taiwan

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

ESMERALDA SPECIAL Award Records:

• 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 (Hacienda La Esmeralda's 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 Cupping for Quality

The pronunciation of Geisha is the same as the Japanese word for "geisha," hence it's also known as "Geisha coffee." Because the variety grows taller than typical coffee trees, it was originally planted in a small area of the estate and used as a windbreak. The estate owner's son, wanting to participate in the annual Best of Panama competition, tested all coffee tree varieties in the estate, giving Geisha its chance to shine. It later 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 range from berries and citrus to mango, papaya, and peach. A very distinct bergamot-like aftertaste is also one of its typical cupping characteristics. To this day, Geisha remains the champion among coffee varieties.

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

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: Rainforest Alliance Certified
• 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.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha has 3 brands, divided by altitude:

1. Auction Geisha (ESMERALDA SPECIAL) (Red Label), selected from altitudes above 1550 meters
2. Boquete Geisha (Green Label), selected Geisha from 1500 meters
3. (ESMERALDA 1,500) (Blue Label), selected Geisha varieties from around 1500 meters altitude

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

Hand-poured Blue Label: 15g coffee grounds, medium-fine grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder 3.5), V60 dripper, 91-93°C water temperature. First pour with 30g 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.

Panama Geisha (Hacienda La Esmeralda)

• Country: Panama
• Grade: Blue Label
• Region: On the 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 Hacienda 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 first brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica. Later, Geisha traveled along the southern route into Panama. Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship.

Flavor Description: Oolong tea aroma, peach aroma, honey aroma, refreshing and comfortable, bright yet balanced, with extremely strong aromatic layers. The entire aroma and caramel sweetness are wrapped together. Upon entry, the tongue feels obvious fruit acidity, which becomes gentle and round in the mouth. The fruity sweetness and aftertaste are strong, like drinking a cup of fresh fruit tea, refreshing and satisfying. The lower the temperature, the more delicate the acidity. The flavor is also quite persistent, leaving one feeling very satisfied!

Hacienda La Esmeralda Introduction:

The Price Peterson family purchased a coffee farm in the Jaramillo region north of Boquete in 1996, which they named Pequeña Suecia (Little Sweden) to commemorate their homeland. This coffee farm is located on the eastern side of Volcan Barú, with cool weather and ethereal mountain mist. As Mr. Peterson described, this newly added area to Hacienda La Esmeralda has excellent altitude and climate (1450-1700m). The coffee beans produced emit an extremely elegant citrus fragrance when roasted. Interestingly, this old farm has various coffee tree varieties left by previous owners.

2002 was a turning point for Hacienda La Esmeralda, thanks to Mr. Peterson's younger son, Daniel Peterson. He believed that the coffee from the two main growing areas of Hacienda La Esmeralda - the original estate in southwestern Boquete and the newly added Jaramillo region from 1996 - had always been harvested and sold mixed. Although the overall quality was good, it wasn't uniformly of the same quality and flavor. He suspected that the extremely elegant citrus fruit aroma and sweetness came from some exceptional coffee within the farm. So he began conducting cupping tests on each growing block individually. Finally, in the higher-altitude valleys of the Jaramillo area, he discovered coffee harvested from these tall, low-yielding coffee trees with exceptional cupping quality. After several inquiries, he learned that these varieties, which thrive in high-altitude, cool temperatures, were the later-famous GEISHA variety. In 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda participated in the Best of Panama (BOP) cupping competition with these special coffees. The unique aroma and saturated mouthfeel of Geisha amazed the judges, winning the "Best Coffee of Panama" championship and setting a historical record of USD $21 per pound at that year's auction! This competition brought tremendous attention to Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee in the specialty coffee world! They continued to win BOP championships in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.

Hacienda La Esmeralda - The world's most award-winning coffee estate

About Hacienda La Esmeralda: The original estate is located in Palmira, Boquete, built by Hans Elliot, a Swedish immigrant who settled here. In November 1967, it was purchased by Mr. Rudolph A. Peterson for dairy farming. In 1973, the elder Rudolph's son, Price Peterson, took over management. Price Peterson was born in 1936 and grew up in America, earning a PhD in Neurochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania (U. Penn). In 1973, he moved to Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete with his wife Susan Duff and their two children, Erik and Rachel. Daniel, born in 1974, was their second son. Although the farm was primarily used for dairy farming under the Peterson family's management, the original old coffee-growing areas always existed. After 1987, it gradually transitioned to a coffee estate, and in 1994, it established its own coffee processing wet mill to handle the coffee cherries harvested from the estate. In addition to Geisha, the estate also grows Typica, Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon varieties.

Panama

Population: 3,406,000

Panama's coffee regional definition is based on how coffee is produced, not geographical boundaries. Previously, when coffee was more widely cultivated and the regions listed below were smaller and more closely clustered, the coffee beans produced could be combined as a single unit.

BOQUETE

The Boquete region is Panama's most famous growing area. Its mountainous terrain creates many microclimates. Relatively cool weather and frequent fog help slow the maturation of coffee cherries, which some believe is similar to high-altitude climates.

• 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 coffees. The region is named after Baru Volcano and the city of Piedra Candela, bordering Costa Rica.

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

RENACIMIENTO

Renacimiento is a growing region in the Chiriquí province, bordering Costa Rica. The area itself is quite small, so it's not one of Panama's main specialty coffee-producing regions.

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

Important Notice :

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