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

Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda: Varieties, Brands, and Estate Introduction

Introduction

In November 1967 Rudolph A. Peterson (1904-2003), a Swedish-American born in California and then president of the Bank of America, bought Hacienda La Esmeralda from Hans Elliot, the Swedish immigrant who had built the estate, as a retirement residence. Hacienda La Esmeralda is a historic property in the coffee-farming area of Palmira, in the Boquete region, and Peterson acquired it in November 1967 for retirement and dairy farming.

In 1973 the elder Rudolph's son, Price Peterson, took over management. Born in 1936 and educated in the United States, Price 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 there in 1974. Although the farm was used mainly for dairy under the Peterson family, the original old coffee areas were always there. After 1987 it gradually shifted to a coffee estate, and in 1994 it built its own wet mill to process the cherries harvested on the property. Besides Geisha, the estate also grows Typica, Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon.

2002 was the turning point, thanks to Price's younger son Daniel. He believed the coffee from the estate's two main growing areas, the original property in southwestern Boquete and the Jaramillo area added in 1996, had always been harvested and sold mixed. Quality was good overall but not uniform in cup or profile. He suspected that the unique, elegant citrus sweetness came from specific parts of the farm, so he began cupping each growing block separately. He finally found exceptional cupping quality in the higher-altitude valleys of Jaramillo. In 2004 Hacienda La Esmeralda entered those special coffees in the Best of Panama (BOP) cupping competition, where Geisha's unique aroma and saturated mouthfeel stunned the judges, taking the championship and setting a record of USD $21 per pound at that year's auction. The competition brought enormous attention to Esmeralda's Geisha in the specialty coffee world, and the estate went on to win BOP again in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.

After the Peterson family took over, they bought and added 60 hectares of growing area in Jaramillo, some of which had been dairy land. After several major renovations, many blocks later dedicated to coffee began to bear fruit in 2003-2004. In 2002 Daniel proposed a new idea: not every growing area would produce equally good flavor, and certain blocks had particularly special character. He began cupping all the beans from the entire estate, and eventually found the special flavor in a small valley block at the highest altitude of the property, the coffee that sells for the best price at Hacienda La Esmeralda and is known as "Esmeralda Special." Beans from other blocks are also of excellent quality, but not as astonishing. Producing "Esmeralda Special" takes a combination of many factors to create small-batch, micro-lot top-tier coffee, and the quantity is naturally a very small share of the estate's total production.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Estate Introduction

Hacienda La Esmeralda sits in the Baru Volcano range in the Boquete region of western Panama. The estate's coffee grows in the fertile volcanic soil and cool climate of Boquete. Although Panama lies near the equator with a tropical climate, Boquete's high altitude and local terrain and microclimate create significant temperature swings, and the estate is cold in both the morning and the evening. Half of its carefully tended coffee gardens lie within forest reserves or national park areas, and the estate is firmly committed to sustainable agriculture and social responsibility. Because of that dedication to 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 now co-managed by the third generation, Rachel and Daniel. Daniel is the one who discovered Geisha and made it famous worldwide. He and his sister Rachel cup each batch of harvested cherries separately, recording the flavor of different growing areas and lots. One day Daniel noticed a particular batch with a distinctive floral aroma, a brighter and richer mouthfeel. After careful examination he found that the unique aroma and flavor came from the Geisha variety, opening the colorful story of Geisha and the estate's path to becoming a world-class star.

In Taiwan and around the world, Geisha has become synonymous with top-tier specialty coffee. Good Geisha beans carry distinctive flavor, with exotic florals like jasmine, peach, and orange, aromas that are obvious yet delicate, and they are regarded as among the best coffees in the world.

To this day it is widely known in specialty coffee that Geisha originated from Hacienda La Esmeralda. Because of Geisha, the estate has won a long list of first-place awards.

Awards

Since 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda has won a great many major coffee industry awards and set several online auction price records.

1ST PLACE RECORD

Every year around June the estate holds its independent auction, open only to Geisha and one of the few estate auctions in the world that allows public online bidding. This year, as usual, prices generally rose, and Taiwan successfully won several batches, which is 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

Geisha is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for "geisha," which is why it is 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 owner's son, wanting to enter the annual Best of Panama competition, tested every coffee variety on the estate, giving Geisha its chance to shine. It later competed around the world, winning a total of eleven championships.

Geisha has full-bodied sweetness, an extremely clean mouthfeel, and rich aromas running 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 a key point on the world coffee map, and beans from here regularly fetch hundreds of dollars at the annual auctions.

Panama Geisha (Hacienda La Esmeralda)

• Origin: Panama
• Region: On the slopes of Baru Mountain, the highest peak in western Panama
• Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
• Grade: Blue Label
• Growing Altitude: 1500M
• 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 and organized the 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 went to a natural Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda at over $350 per pound.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha comes in 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: FrontStreet Coffee | Shelf Life: 90 days | Net Weight: 100g | Packaging: Bulk | Origin: Panama

Hand-poured Blue Label: 15g of coffee grounds, medium-fine grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder 3.5), V60 dripper, 91-93°C water. First pour with 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and pause, wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until you reach 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 took it in. Geisha drew little attention until Don Pachi first brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica, after which it traveled the southern route into Panama, where Hacienda La Esmeralda separated it from the 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. On entry the tongue feels an obvious fruit acidity that becomes gentle and round in the mouth, with strong fruity sweetness and aftertaste, like drinking a cup of fresh fruit tea. The lower the temperature, the more delicate the acidity, and the flavor is persistent enough to leave you thoroughly satisfied.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Introduction:

The Price Peterson family bought a coffee farm in the Jaramillo area north of Boquete in 1996 and named it Pequeña Suecia (Little Sweden) in memory of their homeland. The farm sits on the eastern side of Volcan Barú, with cool weather and ethereal mountain mist. As Mr. Peterson described it, this newly added part of Hacienda La Esmeralda has excellent altitude and climate (1450-1700m), and the beans it produces give off an extremely elegant citrus fragrance when roasted. Interestingly, the old farm came with various coffee varieties left behind by previous owners.

2002 was the turning point for Hacienda La Esmeralda, thanks to Mr. Peterson's younger son, Daniel Peterson. He believed the coffee from the estate's two main growing areas, the original property in southwestern Boquete and the Jaramillo area added in 1996, had always been harvested and sold mixed. Quality was good overall but not uniform. He suspected that the exceptionally elegant citrus aroma and sweetness came from some outstanding coffee within the farm, so he began cupping each growing block individually. Finally, in the higher-altitude valleys of Jaramillo, he found coffee from tall, low-yielding trees with exceptional cupping quality. After some inquiry he learned these varieties, which thrive at high altitude and cool temperatures, were the later-famous GEISHA. In 2004 Hacienda La Esmeralda entered those special coffees in the Best of Panama (BOP) cupping competition, where Geisha's unique aroma and saturated mouthfeel amazed the judges, taking the "Best Coffee of Panama" championship and setting a record of USD $21 per pound at that year's auction. The competition brought enormous attention to Esmeralda's Geisha in the specialty coffee world, and the estate kept winning BOP 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 in Palmira, Boquete, built by Hans Elliot, a Swedish immigrant who settled there. In November 1967 it was bought 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, and their second son Daniel was born in 1974. Although the farm was used mainly for dairy under the Peterson family, the original old coffee areas were always there. After 1987 it gradually shifted to a coffee estate, and in 1994 it built its own wet mill to process the cherries harvested on the property. Besides Geisha, the estate also grows Typica, Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon.

Panama

Population: 3,406,000

Panama's coffee regions are defined by how the coffee is produced rather than by geographic borders. When coffee was more widely cultivated and the areas listed below were smaller and more tightly clustered, the beans produced could be combined as a single unit.

BOQUETE

Boquete is Panama's most famous growing area. Its mountainous terrain creates many microclimates, and relatively cool weather with frequent fog slows the maturation of the cherries, which some compare to a high-altitude climate.

• Altitude: 400-1900m
• 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 remarkable coffees. The region is named after Baru Volcano and the city of Piedra Candela, on the border with Costa Rica.

• Altitude: 1200-1600m
• Harvest: December - March
• Varieties: Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Geisha, San Ramon

RENACIMIENTO

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

• Altitude: 1100-1500m
• Harvest: December - March
• Varieties: Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Geisha, San Ramon

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Boquete Geisha is the most accessible way into this terroir. It is an estate-level introduction planted at 1600 meters, where the misty Boquete mountains, humid days, cool nights, and the fertile volcanic soil of Volcán Barú give the trees rich nutrition and the cup a dense aroma. Brewed, it shows Geisha's signature jasmine florals alongside green tea, honey, citrus, and orange.

For the estate's own grading, look to FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Green Label. Hacienda La Esmeralda divides its Geisha into Red Label and Green Label; the Green Label, formally "Private Collection," is blended from batches across several plots rather than one, and its job is to express the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha style without singling out a block. That makes it the value pick in the range, while still delivering the classic Panama Geisha orange-blossom honey character, oolong tea body, and delicate fruit acidity. FrontStreet recommends a V60 with 15g at a 1:15 ratio, water at 91°C, and a three-stage pour.

For the top of the line, FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Red Label, formally Esmeralda Special, is picked from a single plot above 1700 meters and every batch must cup above 90 points, with its own lot number so buyers can follow the finer differences between plots. FrontStreet's Red Label comes from the Jaramillo plot and shows a refined orange-blossom honey expression with remarkable aromatic layering.

If you want to taste Geisha at its origin rather than its Panama home, FrontStreet Coffee also carries the Geisha Village Gold Label from Ethiopia. Geisha Village grows three Geisha lines, Gori Gesha, Geisha 1931, and Illubabor Forest, and grades them into Gold Label Rarities, Red Label Growers Reserve, Green Label Single-Terroir, and Chaka lots. The Gold Label is the Geisha 1931 variety, about 10% of the village's output, made with a refined natural process, and it delivers complex, layered flavor in the dry aroma, on the slurp, and in the long finish.