Hacienda La Esmeralda 2018 Auction Geisha - The Discovery Story of Geisha

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La Esmeralda Estate Red Label Geisha

Country: Panama

Region: Boquete

Estate: La Esmeralda Estate

Altitude: 1700+ meters

Processing Method: Traditional Natural

Variety: Geisha

Harvest Season: 2018

I. Region Introduction

La Esmeralda Estate

Boquete

What is Red Label Geisha [Auction Batch]

Planting altitude: Above 1,600 meters

Cupping score: Above 90 points for high-quality Geisha

Can only be obtained through the annual global auction

The renowned Geisha variety was born in the small mountain town of Boquete, located on the eastern foothills of La Esmeralda Estate.

Boquete, with its beautiful mountains and waters, has always been a paradise for European and American elites to enjoy their retirement. The town has a population of 20,000, with over 2,000 high-level immigrants from abroad. The coffee farm owners here are fluent in English and European languages, possess a global perspective, and have the highest ratio of doctoral or master's degrees among all coffee-producing countries.

As early as 1904, during the construction of the Panama Canal, a large number of European engineers and senior management personnel were hired to work in the hot Panama City in the east. In 1917, after the completion of the Panama Canal, these highly educated professionals, especially those from Northern Europe, fell in love with Boquete, Panama. With its cool climate and spring-like weather year-round, many people stayed here, bought farms, retired, and enjoyed the living environment surrounded by misty clouds and fragrant air.

The Discovery Story of Geisha

In 1980, Price introduced Caturra and Catuai varieties, and established a washing processing plant in 1994. In 1996, Price heard that a neighboring estate in Jaramillo had excellent coffee with a strong citrus flavor, so he purchased the Jaramillo coffee farm and incorporated it into La Esmeralda Estate. Initially, the Peterson family mixed coffee from both estates for sale, but always felt there was a subtle orange-honey aroma and elegant character that was completely different from the berry flavors typical of Central American coffee.

One day in 2002, Price's son Daniel had an inspiration, believing that this flavor profile must come from a single variety in a specific planting area. He then cup-tested every variety from different altitude planting areas within the estate one by one.

The cupping results revealed that the captivating floral-honey aroma and citrus notes actually came from the windbreak forest on the outskirts of Jaramillo. This area had the highest altitude, approximately 1500-2000 meters, with tall, sparse-leaved coffee trees that appeared unremarkable. The vertical spacing between branches was larger than typical coffee trees, and the distance between each flowering and fruiting bud on branches reached 7.26 centimeters. This indicated that flowering and fruiting areas on the same branch unit were not dense enough, making it a low-yielding variety with low economic value. This might be why the previous owner relegated it to the most remote, wind-exposed area to serve as a windbreak for other high-yielding varieties with shorter, denser internodes.

Their conclusion was: the unknown coffee trees in the windbreak forest possessed unique genes and needed to be cultivated at altitudes above 1500 meters, tempered by cold moonlight, mountain air, and harsh winds to develop their extraordinary flavor profile.

Typically, coffee trees cannot survive in the Jaramillo windbreak forest due to strong winds and low temperatures, but these tall, slender coffee trees thrived. Their coffee cherries were also larger than typical varieties and less likely to be blown off by wind. Although yields were sparse, the orange-honey aroma was intoxicating. What variety could this be?

After consulting various experts, they learned that this variety was called Geisha, introduced in 1963 by Don Pachi, an Italian who worked for the Ministry of Agriculture. However, because it was planted at 1200 meters altitude with low yields, small beans, and poor flavor, it was abandoned.

Coffee Trees Under Shade

In 2004, Jeff, a green bean purchasing expert for Intelligentsia Coffee, served as a BOP judge. He recalled: Among twenty-five Panama specialty coffee beans that reached the finals, one particularly puzzled the judges. It emitted citrus aroma, lime acidity, sugarcane sweetness, jasmine fragrance... filling the entire room. When sipped, it was like a hundred flowers blooming, with fireworks-like brilliance in the mouth.

Even Ethiopian Yirgacheffe couldn't have such intense orange-honey aroma. The championship bean was determined. Estate owner Price explained to everyone that this bean was the Geisha variety, and Geisha became famous from that moment on.

La Esmeralda Estate Large Processing Equipment

It can be said that the European retired engineers from a century ago were the pioneers of today's livestock and coffee cultivation industry in Boquete. The advanced washing processing plants and agricultural hardware facilities here were all masterpieces of those engineers.

La Esmeralda Estate

La Esmeralda Estate is located on a corner of Baru Volcano, so the coffee beans produced in this area were mostly named after Baru Mountain before they became famous. The surrounding area of Boquete has beautiful scenery with many leisure hotels, villas, and vacation estates, even built along the important Rio Caldera River. La Esmeralda Estate is located in Jaramillo on the right side of this river, and later planted coffee in the higher altitude area of Canas Verdes on the left side of the river. We must thank Rudolph Peterson for his decision to purchase this property back then.

The Peterson Family

First Generation Owner of La Esmeralda Estate: Rudolph A. Peterson

In 1964, Swedish-American financier Rudolph A. Peterson retired, moved to Panama, and purchased La Esmeralda Estate in Boquete, focusing on dairy farming. Having previously served as President of Bank of America, he was a major figure in the financial world of his time. Rudolph purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda mainly for vacation and later retirement use, probably not expecting that this estate would become world-famous and even become the representative of Panama's specialty coffee estates.

In 1973, his son Price Peterson obtained a PhD in Neurochemistry in the United States but returned to Boquete to help his father run the farm. After taking over, Price segmented the market into three major brands based on altitude, microclimate, cupping performance, and planting varieties (Esmeralda Special, Diamond Mountain grows, Palmyra). In 2012, Geisha was added as the fourth brand.

La Esmeralda Estate includes 4 farms: Cañas Verdes, El Velo, Jaramillo, and Palmira. All coffee beans are sent to post-harvest processing at these 4 farms. The Peterson family, the estate owners, first purchased the Palmira farm.

Esmeralda Special is the independent auction organized by La Esmeralda Estate itself, completely featuring Geisha, named by production area, with each area further subdivided into small batches for auction. Only Geisha batches that the estate puts out for independent auction can use the Esmeralda Special name. Starting in 2013, Esmeralda Special had nine batches.

Geisha participated in auctions in 2004, and the bidding wars had already pushed Geisha to astonishing prices. Looking back at the 2017 Panama specialty coffee auction, a natural processed Geisha from La Esmeralda Estate fetched an astronomical price of $601 per pound, almost double the previous auction. This means that one kilogram of green beans cost as much as 8,900 RMB.

This year, 2018, the Panama Coffee Competition champion was also produced by La Esmeralda Estate, with Geisha fetching $340 per pound, won by HARU International Corp.

2018 Geisha Auction Groups:

Yeast Processing (ES-Y): Total of four LOT batches, nine boxes of beans

Natural Processing (ES-N): Total of nine natural processed batches, thirty-five boxes of beans

Washed Processing (ES-W): Total of two traditional washed batches, six boxes of beans

The championship bid was $340 per pound, belonging to the yeast group Lot ES-Y-1

Natural group, highest bid $109 per pound, ES-N-9-1

Washed group, highest bid $105 per pound, ES-W-1-5

Lot ES-Y-1

Harvest Date: January 31, 2018

Processing Method: Yeast fermentation for 48 hours followed by washing, then dried on raised beds for 4 days

Altitude: 1600 meters

Region: Cañas Verdes, Palmira

Estate: Cañas Verdes

Variety: Green Tip Geisha

Geisha Varieties: Green Tip Geisha and Bronze Tip Geisha

Green Tip Geisha is characterized by floral aroma, intense acidity, and sweetness. In contrast, Bronze Tip Geisha focuses more on body and sweetness, with less obvious acidity.

El Velo Farm

El Velo Farm was acquired by La Esmeralda Estate in 2012 and is the newest farm in the estate. El Velo Farm often processes micro-batch coffee beans and sells them in small quantities through direct trade.

For example, Prueba 4 harvests coffee cherries from the Burton plot of El Velo Farm. This batch of coffee beans uses titanium dioxide soaking processing. First, mature red coffee cherries are pulped, then the pulped coffee is placed in a sealed container filled with titanium dioxide for 62 hours. The coffee is then dried on a concrete patio for 32 hours (still with some mucilage remaining, so it's honey processed), with patio temperature controlled between 17°C to 24°C. Prueba 4 belongs to a special innovative batch from La Esmeralda Estate's special reserve plots.

II. Processing Method Introduction

Natural processing is the oldest green bean processing method.

Step 1: Remove Floating Beans

Pour harvested coffee cherries into large water tanks. Ripe, full cherries will sink to the bottom; underdeveloped or overripe cherries will float to the surface and need to be removed.

Step 2: Natural Sun Drying

Place entire coffee cherries with skin, pulp, and parchment on drying patios for natural sun drying until moisture content reaches about 12%, taking about two to four weeks depending on the local climate.

Step 3: Hulling

Use hulling machines to remove the dried hard husk, pulp, and parchment layer from the naturally dried "fruit dryness," revealing the green beans.

Advantages of Natural Processing

1. Simple, low processing cost.

2. Green beans dry naturally within the pulp, absorbing fruit essence, resulting in rich fruit aroma, obvious sweetness, and excellent body.

III. FrontStreet Coffee Green Bean Analysis

Geisha coffee green beans have a beautiful blue-green color with a jade-like warm texture. They smell of fresh grass, peach, berry notes, and a unique milky sweetness characteristic of oolong tea that most coffee beans lack. It seems that aroma and flavor require imagination, but the subtle tea-like quality is clearly perceptible.

IV. FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

How does FrontStreet Coffee's roaster roast Geisha?

To fully reveal Geisha's character, special attention must be paid to roasting. Geisha is generally grown at altitudes above 1500 meters. FrontStreet Coffee has beans from 1700 meters altitude with high hardness and density. The beans are full, medium-sized, thick and long, with pointed ends.

FrontStreet Coffee's barista uses light roasting to highlight this bean's characteristics and aroma. This roasting level better brings out the bean's inherent qualities. Too dark would damage the floral aroma and fruit acidity. Of course, this should be adjusted according to the coffee bean's characteristics and the roaster's understanding of the bean itself.

FrontStreet Coffee's experience shows that during the roasting process, Geisha's roasting curve should not be too long, otherwise the flavor will become dull. After first crack, the temperature rise should not be too high. Geisha's pointed ends easily develop black spots, so a temperature rise below 6 degrees would be better. Light roasting brings out more tea rose aroma.

FrontStreet Coffee's Roasting Machine: Yangjia 600g Semi-Direct Heat

Heat to 170°C, open damper to 3. After 30 seconds, adjust heat to 140°C, damper unchanged. Return temperature at 1'25". At 140°C, adjust heat once more. At this point, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 100°C, damper to 4.

At 7'40", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly changes to coffee aroma, can be defined as prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 8'12", reduce heat to 80°C, damper to 4 (be very careful adjusting heat, not so low that crackling stops). Develop for 1'30" after first crack, drop at 189°C.

FrontStreet Coffee's Cupping Results

Entry acidity is refined and gentle, quickly followed by sweetness on the tongue that lasts for a long time. The mouthfeel is clean and bright, like black tea. Aromas of rose, honeysuckle, sweet potato, grapefruit, lemon, black tea, and sugarcane, with clear layers and long aftertaste.

V. FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 3.5 (Japan Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 91~92°C

Cake filter, 15g coffee, water temperature 91°C, grind 3.5, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

35g water for bloom, bloom time 30s

Segmented: Pour water to 100ml, pause, then slowly pour to 225ml

That is: 30-100-95

So everyone thinks Geisha is expensive...

This year's Red Label Geisha is relatively normal. In 2018, La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha fetched $340 per pound at auction, with other auction Geisha ranging from $80-100 per pound. Looking back, the annual 2018 Red Label Geisha auction results are out! First place at $340 per pound! Geisha's extremely low production is just an excuse for being expensive. What truly fascinates people is Geisha's unique and enticing coffee flavor, which is the most important reason for its exceptional value. At FrontStreet Coffee in Guangzhou, this year we obtained 3kg of Red Label Natural Geisha and yeast-processed Red Label Geisha. A cup of Red Label Natural Geisha costs 75 RMB per cup, which is considered a relatively affordable price. Limited quantity, haha.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473