Flavor Profile of Micro-batch #18: Natural Winey Process from Finca Santa Teresa, Chiriqui Province, Panama

The Flavor Profile of Lot #18 from Finca Santa Teresa's Natural Winey Process in Chiriqui, Panama

Finca Santa Teresa (FST) sits high in the mountains on unusually rich black volcanic soil and is fed by both Pacific and Atlantic weather systems. Those two advantages, working together, are a large part of why FST coffee tastes the way it does. The farm spreads across a chain of valleys and ridges, and the different microclimates found from one slope to the next give every micro-batch its own personality. FST ranges from 1,400 to 1,800 meters in elevation, and its planting plots are set apart by natural vegetation, streams, or large tracts of primary forest. The farm follows environmentally friendly growing and processing practices: all production waste is recycled as fertilizer or burned as fuel for drying coffee, and the water it uses comes from local streams and has been approved by Panama's environmental protection authorities.

Finca Santa Teresa is a 100-hectare coffee estate in the Santa Clara area, close to the border between Panama and Costa Rica. It is run jointly by owner Juan Pablo Berard and his daughter Maria Luisia, who keep 25 hectares as primary forest for wildlife habitat. Thanks to its position across a series of valleys and ridges, the estate contains several distinct microclimates, which is exactly what gives each micro-batch its own character. Coffee plots are divided by natural vegetation, streams, or extensive primary forest, and squirrel monkeys and more than 600 species of birds are regularly sighted on the property.

On one side, the farm borders La Amistad International Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site now managed jointly by Panama and neighboring Costa Rica. FST farms and processes in an environmentally responsible way, recycling all production waste as fertilizer or drying fuel and drawing its water from local streams with the approval of Panama's environmental authorities. The estate employs 20 full-time workers, a number that rises to roughly 100 during the harvest. Panama's labor-rights standards are among the highest in Central America.

Beyond wages, FST provides every employee with free meals, medical care, housing, transportation, utilities, and education. The farm does not use child labor under any circumstances; it runs an on-site school for employees' children staffed by teachers working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and it also provides school-bus assistance for children who attend school in the Volcan area. The estate is a consistent winner at the Best of Panama competition.

Flavor Description

The dry aroma opens with wine-like notes and a powerful tropical fruit fragrance: passion fruit, mango, berries, and peach. On the palate the wine character is intense, joined by passion fruit and mango juice, the sweetness of raisins, berry aromas, and a chocolate-cocoa finish.

Coffee Details

Country: Panama
Region: Chiriqui
Altitude: 1,400 - 1,800 meters
Variety: Caturra/Catuai
Producer: Toby Smith and Andre Wierzbicki
Annual Rainfall: Approximately 1,500 - 1,900 mm
Processing Method: Natural Winey Process

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5
Brewing Method: Water to coffee ratio of 1:15, using 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water and let bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour up to 120g of water, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Total extraction time should be around 2:00 minutes.

Analysis

The three-stage pour used here is meant to separate the front, middle, and back end of the cup so each layer reads clearly. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains fairly quickly, pausing between pours helps stretch out the contact time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this Panamanian natural winey process is what draws you in, FrontStreet Coffee's Panama range is the place to keep exploring. The FrontStreet Boquete Washed Geisha is grown at 1,600 meters in Boquete, where mist settles between the ridges by day and the nights turn cool, and the volcanic soil left behind by the Baru volcano feeds the trees. In the cup it gives the jasmine florals, green tea, honey, citrus, and orange that Geisha is known for.

For a little more fruit and a softer price, the FrontStreet Panama Washed Butterfly blends Geisha with Caturra and Catuai from the Baru volcano area of Boquete. The abundant rainfall and wide day-night temperature swing of the region build a coffee with real body, bright citrus acidity, and the jasmine aroma of Geisha; it works equally well as pour-over or cold brew. If you want to taste Panama at its most refined, the FrontStreet Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha is picked from a single plot above 1,700 meters and must cup at 91 points or higher, delivering a precise orange-blossom-and-honey profile.