Introduction to Panama Butterfly Coffee - Flavor Profile and Cupping Characteristics

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When customers at FrontStreet Coffee express interest in trying Geisha coffee beans, if they've never experienced Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha before, FrontStreet Coffee will优先 recommend the Mariposa coffee beans, which are also Panamanian coffees with Geisha flavor profiles. Some people question whether Panama's Geisha blend Mariposa coffee beans are single-origin coffee beans. Many believe that once blended, they're no longer single-origin. FrontStreet Coffee would like to clarify the concept of single-origin coffee beans.

Definition of Single-Origin Coffee Beans

Single-origin coffee refers to coffee produced from a specific origin, specific region, or specific estate, possessing a unique flavor profile that reflects the local terroir.

According to research conducted by FrontStreet Coffee, due to the estate's historical reasons and the pursuit of higher yields at that time, early Geisha varieties were interplanted with Caturra and Catuai coffee trees. To facilitate harvesting, coffee farmers later subdivided the three varieties, and directly mixed and processed them during export to achieve the desired rich flavor profile. The three varieties in Mariposa are all from the same origin and region, so it qualifies as single-origin beans. Another example is Ethiopian beans, which are also not single varieties—the difference being that Ethiopia uses natural harvest blending, while Mariposa uses artificial post-harvest blending.

Region: Baru Volcano area, Boquete, Panama
Altitude: 1600m
Processing: Washed
Varieties: Geisha, Caturra, Catuai

Boquete

Panama coffee is primarily grown on the eastern and western slopes of the Baru Volcano in the western part of the country. Boquete is located on the eastern slope of Baru Volcano, characterized by cool, foggy weather and mountainous geography that creates unique microclimates. The cool climate and frequent fog help slow down the maturation process of coffee cherries, achieving an effect similar to high altitude cultivation. FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee from this region exhibits flavors ranging from cocoa to fruity notes, with subtle acidity.

Mariposa Coffee Bean Varieties

Panama's Mariposa coffee beans possess 40-50% premium Geisha heritage, composed of three varieties: Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai, grown in the Baru Volcano region of Boquete. Panama's special microclimate results in abundant rainfall and significant temperature differences between day and night. Combined with the region's unique volcanic soil, meticulous harvesting, and precise processing, this coffee excels in overall body, citrus acidity, and the jasmine fragrance characteristic of Geisha coffee. However, Geisha coffee's bean shape and flavor profile don't resemble typical Central and South American coffees but are more like flavors found in Ethiopian coffees. So what exactly is Geisha coffee?

Geisha

Originally discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931. Later, Geisha was sent to Kenya's Coffee Research Institute, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, and brought to Costa Rica in 1953, eventually arriving in Panama around 1960. Although Geisha has strong disease resistance, its yield was low, so it disappeared after being used for variety improvement. It wasn't until the owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda rediscovered them in the windbreak and won the BOP cupping competition in 2004 that Geisha coffee became famous overnight. Since then, Geisha has been distributed to other regions in Colombia for cultivation. Although Geisha grown in other regions hasn't shown the same stunning performance as those grown in the windbreak, the floral notes and acidity are still excellently expressed.

Caturra

A natural variant of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is not as tall as Bourbon, being more compact. Due to inheriting Bourbon's lineage, it has relatively weak disease resistance but higher yield than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not suitable for growth there and wasn't cultivated on a large scale. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South America, with extensive cultivation in countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

Catuai

An artificial hybrid coffee variety of Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain. Catuai trees are relatively low-growing, and compared to other coffee trees, Catuai fruits grow more firmly and are not easy to harvest. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no superior taste has been found in yellow fruits compared to red ones. In fact, some cuppers have discovered that although coffees processed from yellow fruits have good acidity, their flavor cleanliness is inferior to those from red fruits.

Mariposa Coffee Bean Processing

FrontStreet Coffee's Mariposa coffee uses precise washed processing. During washed processing, the skin and pulp are first removed, followed by 12-18 hours of fermentation. The fermented beans are then placed in pools and moved back and forth, using the friction between beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until smooth and clean. After washing, the coffee beans are still encased in parchment, with a moisture content of 50%. They must be sun-dried to reduce moisture content to 12-14%; otherwise, they will continue to ferment and become moldy and spoiled. Afterward, the coffee beans are sorted and stored in dedicated warehouses.

FrontStreet Coffee Green Bean Analysis

Mariposa coffee beans use washed processing, which provides clean and clear floral notes. With a moisture content of only 9.9%, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster plans to use low-temperature bean entry, then high heat with small air vents to accelerate dehydration. After the dehydration phase, medium air vents and medium heat are used to prevent the Maillard reaction from being too rushed. The beans are removed when first crack is most intense.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Data

Yangjia 800N, roasting amount 550g: Preheat roaster to 200°C, add beans, after 30 seconds adjust heat to 160, air vent to 3, return temperature at 1'31", maintain heat; 4'50" turn yellow, grassy smell disappears, enter dehydration phase, at 165°C adjust heat down to 130°C, air vent maintained at 4. 7'50" dehydration complete, bean surface shows wrinkles and black spots, toasted bread aroma turns to coffee aroma, prelude to first crack, pay attention to listen for first crack sounds. At 8'31" first crack begins, air vent fully opened to 5, heat adjusted to 70°C. Post-first crack development time 1'28", remove at 193°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

Dry Aroma: Citrus, berries, floral
Wet Aroma: Citrus, jasmine
Flavor: Honey peach, grapes, caramel, honey

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Tips

Dripper: V60 #01
Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 80% pass-through on #20 sieve
Water Temperature: 90-91°C

*Regarding grind size, FrontStreet Coffee determines this through sieving methods. Based on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) recommendations for pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee combines this with practical operation verification, using different grind sizes for brewing, with the finished products showing significant differences. Moreover, each coffee bean variety requires different grind sizes—this is the significance of sieving. If you don't have a sieve at home, FrontStreet Coffee suggests observing flow rate to judge: if water flows too quickly, the grind is too coarse; if too slowly, the grind is too fine.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends choosing freshly roasted coffee beans when brewing. Generally, 4 days after the coffee bean roasting date, the coffee flavor performance will be better. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee insists on roasting fresh coffee beans. However, FrontStreet Coffee understands that some customers hope to brew immediately upon receiving beans (without waiting for the resting period), so FrontStreet Coffee ships coffee beans roasted within 5 days. Adding 1-2 days of transportation time, the beans arrive at customers' hands in about 4-7 days, when the coffee beans have just completed their resting period and can be brewed immediately.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing: Use 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then continue pouring in small circular motions to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper (timing from bloom start). Extraction time is 2'05".

Mariposa Brewing Flavor: Jasmine floral notes, black tea sensation, berry-citrus sweetness and acidity, slight nutty finish, smooth mouthfeel, low bitterness, moderate acidity, medium aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473