Panama Geisha Coffee Bean Variety Origin Story: Natural and Washed Geisha Coffee Pour-over Flavor and Taste Characteristics

The age range of customers who come to FrontStreet Coffee spans a wide spectrum, so FrontStreet Coffee has discovered a fascinating phenomenon: among older generations of coffee enthusiasts, the best coffee is considered to be Jamaica Blue Mountain. However, for today's slightly younger coffee consumer groups, the pursuit of the best and most expensive coffee has shifted from Blue Mountain to Geisha.

The Geisha Phenomenon at FrontStreet Coffee

During daily operations at FrontStreet Coffee's store, FrontStreet Coffee has felt the enthusiasm for Geisha coffee. Many coffee enthusiasts, upon learning that a cup of pour-over coffee of FrontStreet Coffee's most expensive FrontStreet Coffee Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Red Label Geisha costs only 75 yuan, immediately want to order a cup of Geisha. For those who prefer the clean taste of washed coffee, they can also choose the 60-yuan FrontStreet Coffee Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha. However, upon closer inspection of FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu, you'll notice that FrontStreet Coffee's store offers Geisha from two producing countries: Ethiopia and Panama. Recently, two new Geisha coffee beans have also been added, from Colombia and Costa Rica.

The Origin Story of Geisha Coffee

Speaking of Geisha, how much do people actually know about it? Geisha became famous in Panama, but according to authoritative testing, its origin is Ethiopia. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will tell you about the Geisha coffee bean variety and related historical stories: The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia, sent to Kenya's coffee research institute in 1932, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, introduced to Costa Rica in 1953, and finally reached Panama in 1960.

Panama's Coffee Regions

Nowadays, whenever Geisha coffee is mentioned, everyone defaults to Panamanian Geisha. So FrontStreet Coffee takes this opportunity to tell you about Panama's coffee bean regions and the world-renowned Hacienda La Esmeralda. A simple geography lesson: Panama is located in Central America. Looking at a world map, we can clearly see that Panama connects to Colombia to the east, borders the Pacific Ocean to the south, connects to Costa Rica to the west, and faces the Caribbean Sea to the north. It lies between 7° and 10° north latitude, within the coffee growing belt. And Panama follows the specialty coffee rule of planting coffee trees at elevations above 1,200 meters. Panama's eastern region has lower elevations, while the western region has the most suitable elevation for coffee cultivation. Panama's three main coffee-producing regions are all concentrated in Panama's Chiriquí Province.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Panama's specialty coffee growing regions are mainly divided into three: Boquete, Volcán, and Renacimiento. Among these, Boquete is the most famous region, with an average elevation ranging from 1,400 to 1,900 meters, near the western border connecting to Costa Rica. This Boquete region has many excellent estates, such as Elida Estate, Hacienda La Esmeralda, and Duncan Estate. The region is located near the Barú Volcano, featuring fertile volcanic ash soil and diverse microclimates.

Hacienda La Esmeralda: A Historic Coffee Estate

Hacienda La Esmeralda can be described as a coffee estate with a long history.

In 1964, retired American banker Rudolph A. Peterson moved to Panama and purchased what is now Hacienda La Esmeralda. In 1973, the banker's son, after obtaining his doctorate, chose to return home to help manage the estate. In 1987, Caturra and Catuaí coffee bean varieties were introduced. In 1994, a washing processing plant was established, forming their own coffee processing facility. In 1997, the nearby Jaramillo Estate, which had excellent geographical conditions, was purchased and incorporated into Hacienda La Esmeralda.

Today, Hacienda La Esmeralda has three main plots: Cañas Verdes, Jaramillo, and El Velo. FrontStreet Coffee learned about the specific information of these three plots from Hacienda La Esmeralda's official website:

Cañas Verdes

Cañas Verdes has an annual rainfall of 3,500ml, average daytime temperatures between 16-23°C, average nighttime temperatures between 10-15°C, and average elevation of 1,600-1,800m. Cañas includes 9 small plots: Lino, Coronado, Fundador, León, Montaña, Trapiche, Chinta, Cabaña, and Tumaco.

Jaramillo

Jaramillo has an annual rainfall of 4,000ml, average daytime temperatures between 19-25°C, average nighttime temperatures between 11-15°C, and average elevation of 1,600-1,700m. The Jaramillo plot is subdivided into 5 small plots: Mario, Noria, Reina, Bosque, and Buenos Aires.

El Velo

El Velo is Hacienda La Esmeralda's most recently acquired plot, with an average elevation of 1,700-1,900m. Besides growing Geisha and Catuaí, this plot also has small quantities of other exotic varieties such as Laurina, Pacamara, Mocha, and SL28. El Velo is divided into 7 small plots: Guabo, Portón, Durazno, Higuerón, Higo, Buena Vista, and Águila.

La Esmeralda's Grading System

FrontStreet Coffee believes one reason Hacienda La Esmeralda is so popular is its very precise grading system. To meet the flavor preferences of different audiences, Hacienda La Esmeralda divides its Geisha coffee into Esmeralda Special, Private Reserve, and Geisha 1500 based on planting elevation, growth rate, and cupping performance (note: Hacienda La Esmeralda eliminated the Geisha 1500 grade in 2021). Below, FrontStreet Coffee introduces these three grades of Geisha coffee.

Esmeralda Special (Red Label)

First, let's look at Esmeralda Special. Esmeralda Special coffee beans are what are commonly known as Red Label coffee beans in China. They are grown at elevations between 1,600 to 1,800 meters, achieve cupping scores above 90 points, and come from the Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes plots.

Hacienda La Esmeralda holds its own independent auction each year. The Geisha batches selected from designated plots for auction are the auction Red Label. Now there are also non-auction Red Labels available on the market - these are essentially non-auction Geisha from the same plots that flow into the market. The variety quality is consistent, only the prices differ. La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha uses natural or washed processing methods, featuring distinctive, bright floral and citrus aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee's latest batch of FrontStreet Coffee La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha comes from the Mario plot of Jaramillo Farm, using slow natural processing. It has captivating aromas of jasmine, citrus, and berries, with honey-like sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) · Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Mario Plot, Hacienda La Esmeralda, Panama
Elevation: 1700+m
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Slow Natural
Flavor: Citrus, Jasmine, Honey, Berries

Private Reserve (Green Label)

Private Reserve, commonly known as Green Label, consists of non-competition batches with excellent Geisha varieties that don't participate in auctions but maintain outstanding quality. They are grown at elevations between 1,600 to 1,800 meters, consisting of micro-lot blends from different plots including Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo.

Since it's a blend, specific plot details aren't provided, but sometimes Green Label may have flavor profiles similar to Red Label. Although FrontStreet Coffee's La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha is graded lower than Red Label, it still maintains classic Geisha flavors. Like Red Label, it's available in both washed and natural processing.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) · Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Boquete Region, Panama
Elevation: 1600m - 1800m
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Jasmine, Citrus, Melon, Berries, Orange Peel

Blue Label Geisha

Finally, let's discuss the most common Blue Label Geisha. Geisha 1500 is the common Blue Label. The elevation selection is reflected in the brand name - between 1,400 to 1,500 meters, produced from blends of the three plots: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo. In 2020, Hacienda La Esmeralda added washed processing to the Blue Label, so it became available in both washed and natural processing. However, Hacienda La Esmeralda made changes in 2021 and discontinued the Blue Label brand. This means Blue Label has disappeared - once it's sold out, it's gone. As for the specific reason for discontinuing Blue Label, it remains unknown.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) · Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Blue Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Boquete Region, Panama
Elevation: 1500m
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Natural
Flavor: Lemon, Oolong Tea, Sugarcane, Peach

Brewing Comparison: Washed vs Natural Green Label

FrontStreet Coffee's regular customers should know that FrontStreet Coffee's Green Label has both washed and natural versions. Therefore, many consumers ask FrontStreet Coffee's baristas about the differences between the two. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will compare and brew both in this article. Before that, let's first understand the differences between these two processing methods.

Natural processed beans are dried with the entire coffee cherry intact, preserving the skin and pulp during the drying process. This means natural beans have more complex flavors and mouthfeel compared to washed beans. Natural beans have stronger sweetness than washed beans, while washed beans are cleaner and brighter than natural beans.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Pour-over Brewing Parameters:

Dripper: V60 #01
Coffee Dose: 15g
Water Ratio: 1:16
Grind Size: EK43s #10.2
Water Temperature: 90-91°C

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. When injecting water in a small circular motion to 125g, create a segment. Continue injecting water to 225g when the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed. Remove the dripper when the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed (timing starts from bloom). Extraction time: 2'00" - 2'05".

[FrontStreet Coffee Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Washed Green Label] Floral aromas, with soft citrus and grapefruit acidity upon entry. Honey sweetness in the mid-palate, followed by oolong tea notes and brown sugar sweetness in the finish. Clean, bright, and full-bodied mouthfeel.

[FrontStreet Coffee Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Green Label] Fermented aroma and fruity sweetness. Sweet notes of melon and tropical fruits, with juice-like mouthfeel and overall high sweetness.

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