Is Panama Santa Teresa Natural Geisha Better for Pour-Over or Cold Brew? How to Best Brew Geisha Coffee?

Today we introduce the Panama coffee from Santa Teresa Estate, the perennial champion of the Best of Panama (BOP) competition.

We will officially launch the natural processed Geisha beans from this estate, which have received unanimous praise from seasoned coffee enthusiasts.

Here are the details about this estate:

Panama Santa Clara Finca Santa Teresa Geisha & Catuai

Region: Santa Clara

Estate: Finca Santa Teresa

Altitude: 1400-1800m

Variety: Geisha

Processing Method: Natural

Grown at high altitude (1400-1800m) in rich, black volcanic soil. The finca lies along a series of beautiful valleys and ridges, interspaced by live barriers, streams and broad sections of virgin forest. Squirrel monkeys and many of the 600 species of birds in the area are often seen in and around the finca. Environmentally, all waste material from production is recycled as fertilizer or used as fuel for the farm's coffee dryers. Water is recycled from the local stream, and its use has been approved by the Panamanian environmental agency.

Finca Santa Teresa is a boutique coffee farm and mill located high in the cloud forest of Panama. FST sits close to the border with Costa Rica and to Panama's highest peak, the Volcan Baru. Adjacent is La Amistad National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

FST employs 20 full-time staff, rising to approximately 100 during harvest season. Panama's labor rights standards are among the highest in Central America.

FST also provides free meals, medical care, accommodation, transportation, utilities and education for all employees. FST absolutely does not use child labor. There is a school on the farm for employees' children, with teachers provided through partnerships with NGOs, and FST provides school bus assistance for children commuting to school in the Volcan area.

The Perennial Champion of BOP

FST Batista Geisha Panama Volcan/Santa Teresa Estate

Natural/medium-light roast

Red wine, cinnamon, chocolate liqueur, maple syrup

How to Brew Panama Coffee [Santa Teresa Estate Natural Geisha]

FrontStreet Coffee pour-over reference: Weigh 15 g of [Santa Teresa Estate Natural Geisha] coffee grounds, pour into a grinder and grind to medium coarseness, slightly coarser than table salt. We use a BG grinder setting 5R (60% pass rate with a standard sieve). Brew at 90C with a V60 dripper.

Pour hot water from the kettle in clockwise circles, starting from the center of the filter. Start timing when brewing begins. Within 15 seconds, brew the coffee to 30 g, then stop pouring. When the time reaches 1 minute, begin the second pour. For the second pour, continue as before, pouring in clockwise circles with the center of the filter as the focal point, making sure the stream does not hit the area where the coffee grounds meet the filter paper, to avoid channeling.

Leave one ring of space when pouring to the outermost edge of the coffee bed, then continue pouring in circles toward the center. At 2 minutes 20 seconds, brew the coffee to 220 g, and the brewing is complete.

Cold Brew [Santa Teresa Estate Natural Geisha]

FrontStreet Coffee cold brew [Santa Teresa Estate Natural Geisha] reference:

Panama coffee [Santa Teresa Estate Natural Geisha], light-medium roast, BG grinder setting 4B, grind level 3. Use 20 g of beans, water at 83C, and pre-infuse for 3 minutes. Use a Chemex, then continue with cold water extraction. Total water volume: 200 ml.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A natural Geisha like this one is defined by its floral, fruit and tea-like layers, and FrontStreet Coffee's Boquete Geisha is a good place to start exploring that style. As an entry-level Geisha it delivers the classic Panamanian orange-blossom honey character, an oolong tea-like sensation and delicate fruit sweet-tartness at a friendly price.

For the top of the range, FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Red Label Geisha is grown at 1,600-1,800 meters, and every lot must cup above 90 points and comes from a single small plot. Brewing either as a pour-over, FrontStreet Coffee suggests a 15 g dose at a 1:16 ratio with 91C water, and a three-stage pour from 30 g through 125 g to 225 g.

Geisha also makes an excellent cold brew. FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy, a blend of Costa Rican honey coffee and Panama Geisha, brews as a clean, refreshing cold coffee with grape juice, rose, sweet orange and fruit-wine notes when steeped cold.