Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Introduction - Flavor Characteristics of Red Label, Green Label, Blue Label, and Volcanic Rock Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Geisha Coffee Bean is an elegant specialty coffee with unique citrus and honey notes that has become a highly sought-after premium bean among coffee enthusiasts worldwide. When people mention Geisha, the reputation of Hacienda La Esmeralda is legendary in the specialty coffee community. In 2004, their Geisha won the Best of Panama coffee competition and continuously broke auction price records, capturing the coffee world's attention ever since. Hacienda La Esmeralda made Geisha famous and was also the first coffee estate to strictly grade Geisha beans. FrontStreet Coffee's menu alone features three different Geisha varieties: FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Red Label, FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Green Label, and FrontStreet Coffee's Volcanic Rock Geisha.

Refined Cultivation and Terroir

Since Hacienda La Esmeralda's breakthrough with Geisha coffee in 2004, they have exceeded expectations by refining Geisha cultivation even further, dividing the estate's growing areas into three sub-estates: Cañas Verdes, Jaramillo, and El Velo. Each sub-estate's unique location and topography creates subtle variations in Geisha coffee flavors. Based on altitude differences combined with cupping scores, the estate owner has divided the coffee trees into specific plots, enabling more systematic management of Geisha coffee production.

Emerald Red Label: The Premium Selection

FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Red Label refers to the Esmeralda Special grade (including competition batches). The highest-grade Red Label is harvested from high-altitude Geisha (1600-1800 meters) coffee cherries with cupping scores exceeding 90 points, primarily sourced from the Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes farms.

Despite the cultivation and harvesting challenges at high altitudes, the floral and fruit characteristics of Geisha are most prominent in the Boquete region. Hacienda La Esmeralda holds separate auction competitions where Red Label batches selected from designated plots are called competition lots. Each competition lot receives a unique number corresponding to an entire batch from a specific plot, providing buyers with comprehensive traceability information. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Emerald Red Label Geisha Coffee Bean comes from the Mario plot in the Jaramillo farm, processed using slow natural drying.

Exceptional Processing and Quality

Thanks to Hacienda La Esmeralda's exquisite processing methods and strict quality control standards, FrontStreet Coffee's slow natural process Red Label Geisha displays richer fruity notes, with both sweetness and acidity being outstanding. Of course, it maintains Geisha's signature sweet fruit aroma and jasmine fragrance.

Emerald Green Label: Private Collection

FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Green Label Geisha refers to the Private Collection grade, requiring cupping scores between 89-90 points. The Green Label is selected from Geisha grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, uniformly harvested from the Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes plots. However, Hacienda La Esmeralda does not provide plot information, so these lots do not participate in auctions. While the grade is not as high as the Red Label, it primarily showcases the signature classic flavors of high-altitude Geisha. FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Green Label Geisha uses washed processing, with cupping notes revealing fresher, more natural lemon, berry, pomelo, and Tieguanyin tea flavors.

Volcanic Rock Geisha: The Former Blue Label

Finally, there is FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Volcanic Rock Geisha Coffee Bean, formerly known as Blue Label Geisha. This grade of Geisha is selected from coffee grown at altitudes of 1400-1500 meters and is harvested from all three sub-estates of Hacienda La Esmeralda. Between 2019-2022, when Daniel and his sister Rachel sought to elevate Hacienda La Esmeralda's positioning, they discontinued the Blue Label Geisha batches and sold Geisha coffee from this region to a brand company. This brand launched "Las Rocas," also known as Volcanic Rock Geisha Coffee Bean, which is what we recognize as the former Blue Label.

FrontStreet Coffee's Roasting Philosophy

FrontStreet Coffee believes that to present classic "Geisha flavors," it's essential to preserve more floral aromas and acidity, so FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha coffee beans all use light roasting. The roasting curve is adjusted accordingly for different processing methods and flavor differences. Light-roasted coffee beans allow high-altitude coffee to retain more floral and fruit aromas. Compared to medium-dark roasts, light-roasted beans have a denser internal structure, so FrontStreet Coffee adjusts water temperature and grind size during extraction to better release the Geisha aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Recommendations

For filter cup selection, FrontStreet Coffee believes that FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Red Label Geisha should present rich layers of citrus and honey notes. FrontStreet Coffee's baristas use resin V60 filter cups.

The V60 filter cup features flow ribs connecting the top and bottom with a large central hole, accelerating water flow speed. The spiral-shaped exhaust groove design extends the water flow path, increasing contact time between coffee grounds and hot water. Each water stream converges along the grooves toward the filter cup's center point, concentrating pressure on the coffee grounds and extracting coffee with richer layered complexity.

Below, FrontStreet Coffee demonstrates the brewing steps for their store's Emerald Red Label Natural Process Geisha. Everyone can reference and compare with their own brewing approach.

FrontStreet Coffee's Red Label Geisha Pour-Over Parameters:

Filter cup: V60
Water temperature: 91-92°C
Coffee amount: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:16
Grind size: Fine sugar consistency (80% passes through #20 sieve)

Three-Stage Extraction Process:

First, place 15 grams of coffee grounds into the filter cup and zero the scale. For the first stage, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, starting the timer simultaneously. Use a small water stream from the center point, spiraling outward to ensure the entire coffee bed is moistened.

For the second stage, use a slightly larger water stream to pour 120g of water, aiming to raise the entire coffee bed. The water column should be poured vertically and evenly. At this point, the scale should show 150g, completed at approximately 55 seconds.

When the liquid level drops to about halfway, begin the third stage by pouring 90g of water using a small stream in small circles. The final water amount should total 240g, with completion time around 2 minutes and 10 seconds. After removing the filter cup, shake the coffee in the serving carafe evenly before tasting.

The pour-over FrontStreet Coffee Emerald Red Label Geisha coffee reveals elegant rose, citrus, strawberry, and tropical fruit acidity with a pleasant, persistent black tea finish. The flavor layers change with temperature variations, and the overall mouthfeel is smooth.

Connect and Learn More

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473