Panama Honey Process Coffee - Los Lajones Estate | Premium Single-Origin Pour-Over Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Single-Origin Coffee Bean Recommendation - Panama Elida Estate Natural Typica

For much of coffee history, Panama was underestimated and even overlooked. That changed only in recent years, with the annual international cupping competition "Best of Panama" and the rise of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. The competition draws global attention not only for the appeal of the coffee itself but for its astonishing prices. Some Geisha lots from small farms, with their unique floral aromas, have pulled in coffee lovers worldwide. Panama does not produce excellent coffee from Geisha alone: most varieties grown there are Typica and Caturra. Coffee grows in almost every region, especially the Chiriqui district near western Costa Rica, the source of many premium coffees. Panama coffee has strong floral aromas and clean fruit flavors, with cupping quality that far exceeds other expensive coffees, delivering surprising flavor and stable quality.

Panama coffee is widely used in both specialty and commercial roasting, but what draws attention are the family-owned small farms in the Boquete region of Chiriqui district that genuinely produce distinctive coffee cherries. Each harvest season, these farms hire local N'gbe Indians, employing them under Central American labor law at the most reasonable wage standards.

The coffee bean bag simply records that this lot comes from Los Lajones Estate.

The large "HONEY" printed on it signals specially honey-processed beans, and the farm sits in the Boquete region.

Panama, in Central America, is a country full of promise.

In 2011, Direct Coffee introduced the first Panamanian honey-processed coffee beans. Los Lajones Estate is a century-old, excellent small farm in the Boquete region. Its current owner, Graciano Cruz, is a farmer genuinely passionate about coffee, and the farm was the first to develop honey processing. The basic principle is to harvest only fully mature coffee cherries and measure the sugar content of the beans. During the mature harvest period, at the end of each day's picking, the fresh cherries are gathered immediately; the skin and pulp are removed while the fresh mucilage is left on the bean surface, and the beans are spread on elevated outdoor bamboo racks. Drying usually takes 10-12 days, and at the end of that stage the beans hold a moisture content of about 11%. They are then wrapped in parchment, the mucilage is removed by machine, and the beans are cleaned and bagged. Honey processing genuinely solves the problem of the huge capital investment required to build washing plants and sun-drying facilities. Another advantage is that it allows remote small farms to avoid the over-fermentation that happens while fresh cherries are transported, which degrades bean quality. It is what lets small-volume, small-scale excellent farms stand out.

The clear yellow-brown mucilage visible on the raw beans is the main reason for the complex, varied fermented fruit-wine flavor of Panama's Los Lajones Estate.

These precious beans are protected at the factory in vacuum-sealed bags to prevent any loss of aroma and moisture.

Panama Los Lajones Estate overall feels more like a bag of fruit than a bag of coffee, with golden orange-like tones when viewed from a distance.

Property Characteristics

Farm Name: Los Lajones Estate

Farmer: Graciano Cruz

Awards: 12th Best of Panama 2008

Region: Boquete region

Location: Eastern slopes of Volcan Baru

Country: Panama

Farm Size: 160 Hectares

Altitude: 1,750 - 2,100 meters

Annual Precipitation: 3500 mm

Soil: Volcanic clay

Type of Shade Trees: Inga

Certification: Organic certified by Bio Latina

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Mixed cultivation of Geisha, Caturra, Yellow Catuai, Pacamara, etc.

Processing System: Honey processing, African raised beds

Flowering Period: April - June

Harvest Period: January - April (once a year)

Aroma/Flavor: Strawberry aroma, orange, honey, brown sugar, grape, pineapple, mango, cherry, fermented fruit aroma

Acidity: Chamomile acidity, tartaric acid, sweet, lively fruit acidity, orange soda flavor

Complexity and Others: Very complex and varied, hazy mouthfeel, and unique flavors like guava fruit wine, long sweet aftertaste like honey, dark chocolate aroma

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Panama's honey-processed fruit character is best understood next to its Geisha neighbors. FrontStreet Boquete Geisha is the friendly entry point to the Panama Geisha style, offering the classic orange-honey sweetness, an oolong-tea sensation and delicate fruit acidity at an affordable price. For the fuller expression, FrontStreet Esmeralda Red Label Geisha grows between 1,600 and 1,800 meters, is cupped at above 90 points and is sold by individual lot, with jasmine florals, citrus and bergamot and a long black-tea finish. Brew either on a V60 with 15g of coffee and a 1:16 ratio at 91°C; FrontStreet grinds to about 78% passing a #20 sieve, blooms with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pours to 125g and on to 225g for a total extraction of 2:10-2:20.