Characteristics and Stories of Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Geisha, Red Geisha, and Blue Geisha Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee · Panama La Esmeralda Estate Green Label Geisha

Country: Panama

Region: Boquete

Estate: La Esmeralda

Altitude: 1600-1800 meters

Processing Method: Traditional Natural

Variety: Geisha

Harvest Season: 2018

Panama La Esmeralda

After participating in the 2004 Panama Cupping Competition and becoming an instant success, it won the Panama Cupping Competition championship for many consecutive years.

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

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

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

La Esmeralda Estate Red, Green, and Blue Label Geisha

After years of experimentation, La Esmeralda Estate discovered that only Geisha beans harvested from coffee trees growing above 1,400 meters in altitude can display the special characteristics that Geisha beans should have.

Therefore, the main grading is based on planting altitude, with actual cupping results as a secondary factor, dividing Geisha beans into "red, green, and blue label" grades.

FrontStreet Coffee Panama La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha [Auction Batch]

→ Planting altitude: 1,600-1,800 meters

→ Cupping score: 90 points or above

→ Mainly from Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes estates, also the highest quality Geisha beans

→ Geisha beans harvested from the highest points of the Boquete mountains, possessing special, bright floral aroma and citrus fragrance

→ Coffee of this grade will be processed into natural or washed processed green beans, with yeast processing method added in 2018

→ Can only be purchased through the annual global auction

FrontStreet Coffee Panama La Esmeralda Estate Green Label Geisha [Reserve Batch]

→ Planting altitude: 1,600-1,800 meters

→ Micro-batch coffee beans from three different estates: Jaramillo, Quiel, Cañas Verdes

→ Although not the highest grade auction beans, this grade of Geisha still carries the classic flavors of Geisha coffee beans: floral aroma, fruit aroma, citrus acidity, thick and juicy mouthfeel

→ Selected perfectly ripe coffee fruits create rich sweetness, bright fruit acidity, and delicious flavors

→ This grade of Geisha beans also has washed or natural processed green beans to choose from

FrontStreet Coffee Panama La Esmeralda Estate Blue Label [Selected Batch]

→ Planting altitude: 1,500 meters

→ Mixed beans from three different estates: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, El Velo

→ Slight floral aroma, fruit acidity, sweetness, with a relatively less thick mouthfeel than the red label, clean and refreshing

→ This grade of Geisha beans only has washed processed green beans

La Esmeralda Estate "Red Label" and "Green Label"

The competition batch Esmeralda Special auction red label can only be purchased through the annual global auction. La Esmeralda Estate holds its own global auction every year, which is also an annual event in the specialty coffee world. Red Label Geisha | 2018 La Esmeralda Estate's auction Geisha, the discovery story of Geisha.

Around mid-year each year, green bean merchants from around the world interested in that year's high-quality Geisha beans refer to the competition beans' scores before bidding, and try to bid on their ideal coffee batches according to their budget. During the opening bid, everyone is tense, bravely bidding, afraid of missing out on delicious coffee beans and having to wait another year.

FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Geisha Boquete Selected (Esmeralda Boquete) Green Label Geisha does not participate in auctions, but is equally high quality, with a slightly cheaper price. Buyers who purchase the red label can priority purchase the green label.

Conversely, because it doesn't participate in auctions, its price is not as expensive as the red label Geisha, and its cost performance is quite high.

This Geisha from Panama's La Esmeralda Estate grows in the Boquete region at 1600-1800 meters altitude. When we conducted the first test roast:

On September 30th, sunny day, roasting room temperature 27°C, humidity 40%, roasting green label Geisha. We received 2018 season green label Geisha from 1600-1800 meters high altitude with high hardness and density. The beans were full-bodied, thick and long, slightly pointed at both ends. We chose to drop the beans at 170 degrees, started first crack at 8'00", reduced heat to 80 degrees, adjusted the air damper to 3.5, developed for 1'30" after first crack, and dropped the beans at 193.5 degrees. When removed from the roaster, there was oolong tea fragrance, roasted to a dense first crack and then dropped.

Cupping results: elegant and soft acidity on entry. FrontStreet Coffee's Panama La Esmeralda Estate [FrontStreet Coffee Green Label Geisha] has rich flavor layers, instantly bursting with floral and fruit aromas upon entry! As the temperature changes, flavors range from jasmine, citrus to berries, honeysuckle, then transform into fruit candy, oolong tea fragrance, and finally leave a cantaloupe aftertaste.

Peach sweetness and honey aroma, refreshing and comfortable, bright yet balanced, with extremely strong aromatic layers, intense fruit sweetness and aftertaste. Upon entry, it carries strawberry fruit aroma and intense yet gentle citrus-lemon acidity. Drinking it simply doesn't feel like the coffee in your impression. Overall, it won't lose to any red label Geisha. The only regret is that the body is slightly weaker than the red label, but this doesn't affect its rich textural layers and easily recognizable Geisha lineage.

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Grind size: 3.5 (Japan Fuji R440)

Water temperature: 91-92°C

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

35g water for bloom, bloom time 30s

分段：注水到100ml 断水，缓慢注水到225ml，即 30-100-95

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