Panama Boquete Region Organic Certified | Chiriqui Baru Volcano Los Lajones Estate Washed Geisha

Panama Boquete Region, Organically Certified | Chiriqui Baru Volcano Los Lajones Estate

Los Lajones Estate sits on the eastern side of Baru Volcano, directly above the town of Boquete. Boquete is a small town at an altitude of 1,200 meters in Chiriquí Province, the westernmost province of Panama. The famous Caldera River flows slowly past the outskirts of town, down from Baru Volcano. The mild climate, fertile young volcanic soil, appropriate rainfall, and varied microclimates have earned the mountains around Boquete the reputation of a coffee paradise.

Baru Volcano is not only the highest range in Panama; the sediment left by early volcanic activity and eruptions has created soil that is abundant and very fertile. These soils are rich in organic matter, and the volcanic ash in particular carries plenty of phosphorus and sulfur mixed with clay. Combined with the region's distinctive climate, this forms an environment well suited to high-quality coffee, while the dense forest and the many species living in it add to the biodiversity. Los Lajones lies on the north side of the old lava flow from Baru's main crater, directly facing the highest ground where JADE Estate grows Geisha. Visiting Los Lajones this year, I happened to catch the second wave of the flowering period; the mountain scenery and the fragrance in the air sometimes made it feel as though the floral aroma still lingers.

Graciano often says with pride: I am not only the first estate in Panama to obtain organic certification, but also the first coffee farm to completely avoid washed beans.

He believes that traditional washing not only consumes enormous amounts of water and is unfriendly to the environment, but also lacks the sweetness that honey processing can give. At Los Lajones, only mature cherries are harvested. After picking, not a single drop of water is used to remove the fruit skin; instead, the cherries go straight onto African raised beds made of bamboo branches and woven nets to dry. This drying method is not only even and fast, but also results in cleaner flavors with softer, richer acidity. The estate's good ventilation and ample sunlight are key to the success of its honey and natural processing methods.

Good natural-processed beans are difficult to produce, because properly ripe cherries are hard to harvest selectively and the natural drying process is hard to control. The picture below shows the situation on the first day of cherry harvest, where only properly ripe cherries are selected. After three days, the color gradually deepens, the fruit shrinks, and changes such as dehydration, drying, and fruit fermentation gradually set in with temperature, humidity, and turning frequency - all of which affect the final flavor.

Multiple sweetness profiles, rich sweetness without overripe fruit acidity, and varied, complex, and elegant flavors are the reasons Auscha purchases Los Lajones natural-processed series beans.

Estate Information

Region: Chiriquí

Town: Boquete

Location: Eastern slope of Baru Volcano

Altitude: 1750 - 2150 meters

Rainfall: Annual average 3500 mm

Average Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius

Soil Type: Volcanic clay

Cultivated Varieties: Geisha, Pacamara, Typica, Catuai, Caturra

Estate Area: 160 hectares (35 hectares planted with coffee)

Organic Certification: Organic cert. by Bio Latina

Recent Awards: 2013 Best of Panama Natural Geisha Runner-up, Honey Process 4th Place

This Batch Variety: Geisha

Processing Method: Natural processing, African raised beds

Harvest Period: This batch harvested in March

Flowering Period: April-June

Dry Aroma: Peach blossom, honey, estate chocolate, sweet fragrance, fruit juice sweetness

Wet Aroma: Floral, tropical fruits, honey, berries, vanilla

Sipping: Very clean, diverse aromas, delicate sweetness, rich body, juice-like texture, sweet spices, peach, chocolate, a rare cleanliness and delicacy for natural-processed beans, sweet pineapple in the aftertaste, and persistent sweet-and-sour notes of honey and passionfruit.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendation

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90 degrees Celsius

Grind Size: Fuji grind level 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First pour 25g water for a 25s bloom. Second pour to 120g water, then stop pouring. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: The three-stage brew distinguishes the front, middle, and back flavors of the coffee clearly. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, stopping the pour can extend the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Los Lajones has whetted your appetite for Geisha, the entry point at FrontStreet is the Panama Boquete Geisha. It is a starting-level Geisha from Panama's most representative specialty region, with pure genetic stock and washed processing, and it lets you taste the classic orange-blossom honey character of a high-quality Panamanian Geisha at a reasonable price: oolong-tea smoothness, delicate fruit acidity, and clearly separated layers. If you want to splurge, FrontStreet Esmeralda Red Label Geisha - the estate's "Esmeralda Special" - is grown at 1,600-1,800 meters, is cupped at over 90 points for every batch, and carries its own lot number, with each lot drawn from a single small plot so buyers can choose according to subtle flavor preferences.

The range extends further at the estate level. FrontStreet Gesha Village Gold Label belongs to the Gesha 1931 variety and accounts for 10% of the village's total output - the top coffee the village produces outside its auction, and a frequent choice of competition baristas - and it is processed with a refined natural method that gives a complex, layered cup. FrontStreet Gesha Village Red Label is the Gori Gesha variety, accounts for 15% of production, scores 88 points or above on the SCA 100-point scale, and is released as a single-terroir series, so each lot carries full traceability including farm block name, variety, and processing date.

For an affordable way to enjoy Geisha flavors day to day, FrontStreet Strawberry Sugar blends a honey-processed Costa Rican coffee with Panamanian Geisha, combining the delicate floral character of one with the grape, dried blueberry, strawberry marshmallow sweetness of the other. It works as a pour-over or in a moka pot and espresso machine, and it is especially good as a cold brew: the lively, lifted fruit sweetness settles into something almost like a fruit wine if you let it ferment and clarify for a while.