Panama Coffee Beans: Characteristics, Stories, Grading, Pricing, Raw Beans, and Roasting

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In 2001, Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered Geisha coffee within their estate through cupping results, also known as Geisha coffee. It was named Geisha because it was speculated that this variety was collected from the Geisha forest in Ethiopia. "Geisha" has the same pronunciation as the Japanese word "geisha," thus "Geisha coffee" is also known as "Geisha coffee."

Geisha coffee originated in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee and the genetic kingdom of coffee, with numerous varieties. Therefore, many Ethiopian coffee beans are directly labeled as native varieties in terms of variety. The Geisha variety was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931. Geisha did not receive much attention locally and was directly used as a windbreak forest until Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Afterwards, Geisha was sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, to Costa Rica in 1953, and to Panama in 1970. Finally, it was separated from other varieties by Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda and taken to competitions, becoming the BOP competition champion in 2004. It rose to fame overnight, bringing Geisha into everyone's attention and becoming an outstanding player in specialty coffee.

Although Panama Geisha coffee beans were introduced and cultivated from Ethiopia, they still differ from Ethiopian Geisha varieties and flavors. Although Geisha varieties have refined flavors, such elegant flavors come from specific growing environments. Geisha varieties are very picky about their growing environment, requiring high-altitude areas with cloud shade or extensive shade tree cover, and fertile soil. High-altitude Geisha varieties show obvious floral aromas and refined, elegant fruit acidity, so Panama's growing environment is also an important reason for Geisha coffee's fame and one of the reasons for its global popularity.

Since Panama Geisha coffee became famous, many places around the world have begun to research and cultivate Geisha variety coffee, including multiple estates in Panama itself. The Geisha coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee has acquired include those from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda, as well as Colombian and Costa Rican varieties. Of course, Ethiopian Geisha is indispensable, with over a dozen Ethiopian single-origin coffee beans, and FrontStreet Coffee has over 50 single-origin beans from around the world.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Coffee Bean Characteristics

Colombian Geisha Coffee

The Hanami coffee that FrontStreet Coffee acquired this time is a blend of Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai. Initially, the estate planted Caturra and Catuai coffee varieties. In 2016, the estate owner and his team introduced the Geisha variety from Panama, until they began harvesting in 2020, and entered mass production in 2021. Therefore, this coffee bean can be considered the first time the Montblanc Estate sold Geisha coffee beans to the market.

The Herrera family of Colombia's "Finca La Esperanza" introduced Geisha coffee from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda in 2007. Although it initially failed, after years of experimental cultivation efforts, they won first place in the "Annual Green Bean Competition hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America" (COTY - Coffees of the Year) in Houston in April 2011.

FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian Hanami flavor characteristics: Red pepper, chamomile, tangerine, honey, almond

Costa Rican Geisha

Costa Rican Geisha coffee is also quite famous. Geisha was introduced to Costa Rica in 1953, earlier than Panama. Panama's Geisha was introduced in the 1970s when Mr. Francisco Serracin from the Tumba7 Estate obtained seeds from Costa Rica's CATIE and began cultivating Geisha coffee. Because of extremely low production and the need for bidding, this bean can be said to be hard to come by.

Costa Rica's coffee growing areas provide fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall from volcanic terrain, all important factors for Costa Rica's excellent coffee production. Costa Rica has been cultivating coffee for nearly two hundred years, and coffee as an important economic crop for the country has a very mature industry. Today, there are also many newly established estates, most of which have resources and are willing to cultivate Geisha variety coffee. The Mirasu Geisha blend, as the name suggests, mainly contains 50% Geisha varieties. Besides Geisha, it also includes ET47, SL28, and MAICO.

In FrontStreet Coffee's Mirasu Geisha blend, the Geisha variety coffee beans provide jasmine fragrance, while other varieties enrich the strawberry and berry fruit flavors. Additionally, the raisin honey processing method enhances the sweetness of this coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Mirasu coffee flavor characteristics: Jasmine fragrance, with sweet raisin flavors upon entry, strawberry gummy sweetness, and nutty cream-like mouthfeel.

Ethiopian Geisha Coffee

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 and gradually spread to American countries. Therefore, Ethiopia is one of the most noteworthy Geisha coffee-producing countries besides Panama. However, unlike Panama and other American countries, Ethiopia has numerous varieties and is dominated by smallholder cultivation, making it nearly impossible to identify whether it's a Geisha variety. Most are exported under the name "heirloom varieties." Adam and Rachel, owners of the Gesha Village Estate, began searching in 2008 and after three years of searching, finally found a suitable coffee growing environment system at 1900-2100 meters high altitude, with tropical rainforests, suitable climate, fertile forest soil, and long-standing forests. With the guidance and help of "Geisha Godfather" Mr. William, Gesha Village's coffee has achieved outstanding results in world competitions.

The Gesha Village Estate is completely different from most Ethiopian farms - it's not a small farm but a large estate of over 400 hectares, with its own washing station and laboratory, located in the southwest near the Sudan border. Gesha Village divides the farm into 8 zones with 3 main Geisha varieties. Geisha selections come from native coffee forests 20 kilometers from the estate, which is exactly the source of Panama's Geisha variety.

The flavor performance of Gesha Village Estate's Geisha coffee differs from that of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Panama's washed Geisha coffee mostly shows refined floral aromas, tea-like qualities, and almond nutty tones; while natural processed Geisha mostly shows rich fruit tones with subtle floral aromas, reminiscent of ginger flowers and citrus when cooled. Gesha Village Estate's coffee mainly features yellow drupe fruit flavors, reminiscent of yellow peaches, with medium-high sweetness, and better-performing batches even show toffee flavor expressions.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Estate

In 1964, American banker Rudolph Peterson retired, moved to Panama, and purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, initially focusing on dairy farming. Later, his son Price resigned from his position as a doctor to help his father run the farm. In 1987, they introduced Caturra and Catuai coffee bean varieties, and in 1994 established a washing station, giving them their own coffee processing facility. In 1996, they purchased the nearby Jaramillo Estate, which had superior geographical conditions and good original coffee variety flavors, incorporating it into Hacienda La Esmeralda.

Jaramillo was favored by the Peterson father and son precisely because its originally cultivated coffee beans carried pleasant orange and floral fruit aromas, different from Panama's original coffee flavors. After cupping coffee beans from different areas of the estate, they discovered unknown coffee trees growing at the highest point of the estate. Due to low production, the previous owner used them only as windbreak trees. The Petersons discovered them and decided to separately cultivate the coffee trees in this area. Starting from winning the Panama Green Bean Competition BOP in 2004, they achieved remarkable success. After expert identification, it was discovered that these coffee beans were the Ethiopian Geisha variety. Afterwards, the Peterson family focused most of their energy on developing infrastructure to support excellent batch separation and refined processing.

Geisha Grades at Hacienda La Esmeralda

After years of experiments, Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered that only Geisha grown above 1400 meters altitude can display its proper refined flavors. Therefore, Hacienda La Esmeralda primarily uses planting altitude as the main criterion, supplemented by actual cupping results, to divide the estate's Geisha coffee into three grades: Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label. However, in the first half of that year, Hacienda La Esmeralda announced the cancellation of the Blue Label brand. In the second half of the year, FrontStreet Coffee discovered a Geisha coffee named "Las Rocas" on the market. After rigorous investigation and cupping, it was confirmed that Las Rocas indeed came from Hacienda La Esmeralda, with flavors highly similar to the previous Blue Label.

Red Label Geisha

Esmeralda Special Selection's Geisha is commonly known as Red Label. It selects Geisha coffee beans grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, with cupping scores above 90 points, from the Jaramillo and Canas Verdess production areas. The independent bidding held by Hacienda La Esmeralda itself takes Geisha batches from designated plots for bidding - these are the bidding Red Labels. However, there are also non-bidding Red Labels on the market today, which are actually Geisha beans selected from the same plots that were not submitted for bidding and then circulated on the market. The variety quality is consistent, only showing differences in selling price.

FrontStreet Coffee acquired the natural processed Red Label Geisha from the Jaramillo plot. This grade of Geisha uses natural or washed processing methods, with special, bright floral and citrus aromas. The natural processed Geisha coffee beans have more complex aromas and outstanding sweet and sour characteristics. If you want to enjoy top-tier Geisha coffee flavors at a high price, Hacienda La Esmeralda's natural processed Red Label Geisha is more classic. Natural processing makes Geisha flavors more concentrated, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth that is endlessly memorable. FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Red Label comes from the same Jaramillo farm as the Geisha coffee beans that won the 2004 BOP competition.

Green Label Geisha

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, is not a separate competition batch but a Geisha variety from non-bidding plots that still maintains excellent quality. It selects Geisha beans grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters from micro-batches mixed from different plots like Jaramillo, Canas Verdess, and others. Although Green Label doesn't reach the Red Label grade, it still carries Geisha's classic flavors: floral, fruity, citrus-lemon acidity, and thick, juicy mouthfeel. Green Label Geisha is available in both washed and natural processing.

Compared to FrontStreet Coffee's natural Red Label, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Green Label represents fresh and clean style, with typical Geisha flavors clearly discernible. The overall experience is very refreshing, like drinking oolong tea, making it the value choice for Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha.

Blue Label Geisha

Blue Label Geisha selects beans from altitudes of 1400-1500 meters, mixed from three different plots: Jaramillo, Canas Verdess, and El Velo. The flavors show subtle floral notes, fruit acidity, and sweetness, with a less thick mouthfeel. In previous years, Blue Label Geisha was only available in washed processing, while the 2020 Blue Label batch added natural processing methods. In 2021, Hacienda La Esmeralda canceled the Blue Label Geisha grade, and a few months later, a Geisha coffee bean named "Las Rocas" appeared. FrontStreet Coffee's baristas discovered through cupping comparison that this "Las Rocas" has very similar flavors to the previous Blue Label.

FrontStreet Coffee's washed processed Blue Label Geisha has subtle floral notes, fruit acidity, and sweetness, with a less thick mouthfeel, while the natural processed Blue Label has subtle floral aromas, obvious fermentation notes, and berry juice-like mouthfeel with high sweetness. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Hacienda La Esmeralda's new season Blue Label introducing natural processing is undoubtedly a benefit for consumers. Previously, if consumers wanted to drink natural processed Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha, they often had to purchase expensive Red/Green Labels. The natural Blue Label allows consumers to buy natural processed Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda at low prices with high value.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions

For coffee brewing, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using freshly roasted coffee beans to maximize the experience of coffee's rich flavors. Coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness greatly affects flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive it, the flavors are at their best. Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans, which is fine, but FrontStreet Coffee reminds that once coffee beans are ground in advance, they need to be brewed promptly because coffee grounds oxidize relatively quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee's flavors dissipate faster, and the coffee's taste won't be as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests grinding fresh and brewing immediately to better taste the coffee's flavors.

Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Coffee Bean Brewing:

Filter cup: Hario V60
Water temperature: 90°C
Dose: 15 grams
Ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Medium-fine grind (BG#6S) (Chinese standard #20 sieve pass rate 80%)
FrontStreet Coffee brewing method: Three-stage extraction method

Use 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then continue circular pouring with small water flow to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait for the coffee extraction to complete, then remove the filter cup. Timing starts from the beginning of pouring, with total extraction time of 2'00". Next, pick up the entire cup of coffee, shake it evenly, and pour it into a cup for tasting.

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-Over Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Flavor Descriptions

Natural Red Label: Bright rose and citrus aromas, brown rice, berries, apricot, complex fruits, honey, with thick juice sensation and rich flavor layers, with obvious sweetness.

Washed Green Label: Intense jasmine fragrance upon entry, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juice sensation, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, with rich overall flavor layers and long-lasting floral and citrus aftertaste.

Washed Blue Label: Gentle acidity of lemon and grapefruit upon entry, which when cooled slightly reveals oolong tea, honey, and sugarcane sweetness, with a relatively clean and bright mouthfeel.

Natural Blue Label: Fermented aroma and fruity sweetness in aroma, with sweet melon and tropical fruit sweetness in taste, juice-like mouthfeel, with very high overall sweetness.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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