2021 Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Coffee Bean New Blue Label Flavor Profile Description

Hacienda La Esmeralda's New Natural Process Geisha

Hacienda La Esmeralda introduced a natural process version of their Blue Label Geisha for the first time in the 2020 new harvest season. FrontStreet Coffee, known for our research-oriented approach, couldn't miss this opportunity and promptly imported a batch of natural Blue Label for comparison. The Blue Label Geisha represents Hacienda La Esmeralda's "affordable" brand, allowing people to experience the taste of Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha at an accessible price point. However, in 2021, Hacienda La Esmeralda discontinued the Blue Label Geisha for unknown reasons. Before 2020, only the Red and Green Labels from Hacienda La Esmeralda offered natural process versions, making the addition of the natural Blue Label in 2020 undoubtedly a benefit for广大 consumers.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Plot Distribution

Hacienda La Esmeralda meticulously divides their Geisha growing areas into three main plots: Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, and El Velo. Each plot is further subdivided into smaller micro-lots.

Jaramillo receives an annual rainfall of 4000ml, with average daytime temperatures between 19-25°C and nighttime temperatures between 11-15°C, at an average altitude of 1600-1700m. The Jaramillo plot is subdivided into 5 micro-plots: Mario, Noria, Reina, Bosque, and Buenos Aires.

Canas Verdes receives an annual rainfall of 3500ml, with average daytime temperatures between 16-23°C and nighttime temperatures between 10-15°C, at an average altitude of 1600-1800m. Canas Verdes includes 9 micro-plots: Lino, Coronado, Fundador, León, Montaña, Trapiche, Chinta, Cabaña, and Tumaco.

El Velo is the most recently acquired plot by Hacienda La Esmeralda, with an average altitude of 1700-1900m. In addition to Geisha and Catuai, this plot also grows small quantities of other exotic varieties such as Laurina, Pacamara, Mocha, and SL28. El Velo is divided into 7 micro-plots: Guabo, Portón, Durazno, Higo, Buena Vista, and Águila.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Grades

After years of experimentation, Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered that only Geisha grown above 1400 meters in altitude can showcase its expected delicate flavors. Therefore, Hacienda La Esmeralda primarily uses planting altitude as the main criterion, supplemented by actual cupping results, to classify their Geisha coffee into three grades.

Esmeralda Special

Esmeralda Special, commonly known as Red Label, consists of Geisha grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters with cupping scores above 90 points, primarily from the Jaramillo and Canas Verdes regions. Red Label batches are available in both washed and natural process methods. Red Label batches can only be obtained through global auction.

Private Collection

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, consists of batches that don't participate in auctions but still maintain excellent quality. Green Label Geisha is grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, primarily mixed from different plots including Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, and others.

Due to the approach of mixing different plots, sometimes the flavor similarity between Green Label and Red Label can be very high. While Green Label may not reach the level of Red Label, it still possesses the classic Geisha flavors - floral, fruity, citrus acidity, and a thick, juicy mouthfeel. Green Label Geisha is also available in both washed and natural process.

Geisha1500

Geisha1500, commonly known as Blue Label, is grown at altitudes of 1400-1500 meters. Blue Label combines Geisha coffee beans from three different plots: Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, and El Velo.

In previous years, Blue Label Geisha was only available in washed process, but this year's Blue Label batch added the natural process method. The coffee introduced by FrontStreet Coffee is precisely this natural Blue Label Geisha from the new harvest season.

Geisha Processing Methods

Hacienda La Esmeralda's washed process involves using a depulper to separate most of the fruit pulp from the coffee beans, then guiding the parchment beans to a clean water tank for soaking and fermentation to completely remove the remaining pulp layer. Through water processing, underripe and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy, then depulping (also called pulping) is performed, where the coffee cherries are passed through a machine to remove the skin, leaving coffee with mucilage placed in fermentation tanks for 1-2 days to decompose the mucilage attached to the coffee beans.

Then the coffee beans are thoroughly cleaned with clean water, and the parchment beans are dried until the moisture content reaches 12% for storage, with the parchment removed only when exported.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's natural process involves sending the harvested coffee cherries directly to patios for drying. The coffee cherries slowly dry while the coffee beans inside absorb fruit and aromatic flavors. The coffee cherries are dried evenly. Depending on weather and patio composition, the coffee is dried on concrete patios for 3-5 days (8 hours per day). When it reaches sufficient dryness, it's placed in a Guardiola dryer for 72 hours to complete the drying process and prevent fermentation. After drying is complete, machines are used to remove the fruit and other parts.

The Guardiola is the preferred drying method, as it can handle large quantities of coffee as long as the coffee lot size permits. The Guardiola is a horizontal rotating drum that allows warm air to circulate around the beans, removing moisture. After the coffee beans are dried, they are placed in nylon bags and stored in the warehouse for 30-45 days. This step, also known as "reposo," helps stabilize the coffee beans and improve cup flavors. FrontStreet Coffee believes this refined natural processing can stably control the degree of coffee fermentation, thereby stabilizing the flavor of each batch and ensuring coffee quality.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

Blue Label Geisha uses a medium-light roast to highlight the floral and fruity notes and Geisha's unique, pleasant acidity.

Heat the drum to 180°C, then add beans with heat at 130 and airflow at 3. Return temperature at 1'32", when the drum temperature reaches 104°C, increase airflow to 4 while maintaining heat. At 151.6°C, the bean surface turns yellow and grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 7'56", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma - this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack begins at 8'30", increase airflow to 5. Develop for 1'28" after first crack, then drop beans at 190°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions

Coffee amount: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind: Fine grind (80% pass-through through #20 standard sieve)

Water temperature: 91°C

Frontsteet Three-Stage Brewing Method

1. First pour 30g of water for 30 seconds of blooming.

2. After blooming, pour the second stage of water, 100g in a circular motion from center outward. This pour can be done slowly - Geisha coffee is very extraction-resistant and requires sufficient pouring time to extract its aromas. After pouring, wait for the water level to drop by half.

3. When the coffee bed is about to be exposed, pour the third stage of 95g water, for a total of 225g. Wait for the coffee to finish filtering, then remove the filter cone. Total brewing time is approximately 2 minutes.

Geisha Coffee Flavor Descriptions

[Red Label] (Natural) has bright rose and citrus aromas, brown rice, berries, apricot, complex fruits, honey, with a thick juice-like mouthfeel and rich flavor layers with noticeable sweetness.

[Green Label] (Washed) has rich jasmine floral notes upon entry, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juice-like mouthfeel, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, with overall rich flavor layers and a persistent floral and citrus aftertaste.

[Blue Label] (Washed) has gentle acidity of lemon and grapefruit upon entry, with oolong tea, honey, and sucrose aftertaste as it cools slightly, with a relatively clean and bright mouthfeel.

(Natural) has fermented aroma and fruity sweetness, with sweet melon and tropical fruit sweetness upon entry, juice-like mouthfeel, and overall very high sweetness.

Unfortunately, in 2021, Hacienda La Esmeralda announced that their 2021 harvest season Geisha coffee beans would only include Red and Green Label series, with more detailed classifications, but made no mention of the Blue Label. Many people were frantically spreading rumors that the Blue Label was cancelled this year. Subsequently, FrontStreet Coffee also received confirmation that Hacienda La Esmeralda would not release a Blue Label Geisha series in 2021.

Does this mean we can no longer drink affordable Panama Geisha coffee? Not necessarily. In October 2021, a Panama Boquete Geisha coffee bean named "Las Rocas" arrived at port. This brand-new Geisha coffee comes in exquisite packaging. Given that there aren't many Geisha-producing estates in Panama, FrontStreet Coffee conducted repeated verification and confirmed that Las Rocas Volcanic Rock Geisha coffee indeed comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda. This precisely fills the production gap left by the Blue Label Geisha.

It seems the Blue Label Geisha hasn't disappeared - it just rebranded and continues to appear in the consumer market. This batch of coffee beans uses washed processing, still handled by Hacienda La Esmeralda. It's clear that this batch maintains the same quality as the Blue Label. For those craving Blue Label Geisha coffee beans, you have something to look forward to!

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