Panama Hartmann Coffee Red Wine Processing How to Drink Panama Coffee?

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange

Panama's premium coffee scene has changed dramatically over the past two decades, and the Hartmann estate sits right at the center of it. Here is the story of the farm and how to enjoy its naturally processed coffee.

The Rise of Panama's Premium Coffee

The annual International Cupping Competition and the "Best of Panama" auction have completely transformed the landscape. The competition has drawn global attention not only for the appeal of the coffee itself but also for its astonishing sky-high prices. Geisha varieties from small farms have captivated coffee enthusiasts worldwide with their unique floral aromas.

Boquete Region's Excellence

Small farms in the Boquete region truly produce distinctive coffee cherries. Every harvest season, farms hire local Ngäbe workers, following Central American labor laws and paying reasonable wages.

Natural Process Mastery

Natural processed beans have always been a strength of Panamanian coffee. Stable craftsmanship and systematic analysis create exceptional beans. Hartmann Manor is a coffee estate run by the Hartmann family and founded by Alois Strasil Hartmann. The estate includes large areas of pristine forest and serves as one of the buffer zones for the famous La Amistad Forest Reserve, which spans Costa Rica and Panama. Coffee grown here thrives in the shade of rainforest trees.

Hartmann Estate Innovation

Hartmann is a renowned estate in the Boquete region. It previously developed the Honey B variety for the well-known American coffee company Ninety-Plus (abbreviated 90+, which selects exceptionally high-quality coffees that can score above 90 points in cupping). This honey-processed coffee, popular across Central and South America, offers rich fruit aromas as well as captivating sweet fragrances.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations:

V60 / 90°C / 1:15 ratio / 2 minutes

Flavor: Rich fermented wine aroma, low acidity, grapefruit

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For an introduction to Panama Geisha, FrontStreet Coffee suggests the Boquete Geisha, an estate-level entry coffee planted at 1,600 meters. Mist often covers the mountains of Boquete, with humid days and cool nights, and the fertile volcanic ash soil of Baru Volcano feeds the plants — all ideal conditions for Geisha. The cup shows Geisha's signature jasmine, green tea, honey, citrus, and orange.

If you want the top of the range, the FrontStreet Esmeralda Red Label is harvested from a single plot above 1,700 meters and must cup at 91 points or higher, offering a refined orange-blossom-honey character. The FrontStreet Esmeralda Green Label blends lots from several plots to express the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha profile at a more accessible price.

Geisha is a medium-light, floral-fruity coffee with hard beans that can sink and clog the dripper, so FrontStreet Coffee recommends a grind size around 78% passing a Chinese-standard #20 sieve (roughly fine sugar) and water at 91°C. For pour-over, use 15g of coffee in a small Hario V60 at a 1:16 ratio and a three-pour method: bloom with 30g for 30 seconds, then pour in a slow circle to 125g, wait until the bed drops halfway, and pour slowly to 225g, finishing in about 2:10-2:20.