Are Panama Coffee Beans Expensive? Geisha Washed vs Natural Flavor Differences Sharing

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FrontStreet Coffee - Geisha Washed and Natural Brewing Guide

Panama is a Central American country, bordering Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. Located at 9 degrees north latitude, Panama is a convergence point of the Central Mountain Range, home to one of Central America's highest volcanoes, Baru Volcano. With an altitude exceeding 11,400 feet, the surrounding land is rich in nutrient-dense soil, providing ideal conditions for the cultivation and nurturing of Panama's distinctive coffee varieties.

Panama coffee is renowned for its Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, and the region where this estate is located is also quite famous: the Boquete region in Chiriqui Province. Boquete is a town in Chiriqui Province, situated near the Panama-Costa Rica border and close to the famous Baru Volcano. With its picturesque scenery, fertile and abundant soil, the climate and terrain are exceptionally suitable for producing premium coffee.

Within the Boquete region, there are many outstanding estates. Besides the famous Hacienda La Esmeralda, other renowned estates like Elida Estate and Kotowa Duncan Estate are also highly distinguished, all producing excellent specialty coffees. This not only benefits from the superior ecological conditions of Panama's Boquete region and the fertile volcanic ash soil of Baru Volcano, but also from the various microclimates in the Boquete area, where temperature and rainfall are ideal for plant growth.

Geisha is more precious than gold because of its extremely low production and the need to participate in bidding auctions, making it very difficult to obtain Geisha green beans. Of course, low production is just an excuse for the high price; what truly fascinates people is the flavor that surpasses all other coffees in the world - this is the most important reason for Geisha's exceptional value. Currently, Geisha is primarily from Panama and Colombia.

Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha is the new king of specialty coffees, commonly known as "Red Label Geisha," with superior quality and naturally high price. Natural Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda fetched an astonishing price of $601 per pound, equivalent to approximately 8,900 RMB per kilogram.

Brewing Parameters

Dripper: Hario V60; Water temperature: 90°C; Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:16; Grind size: Medium-fine (BG 6S: 58% pass-through rate with China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method

Multi-stage extraction. Bloom with 32g of water for 30 seconds. When extracting with a small circular pour to 125g, create a stage break. Continue pouring to 228g when the water level is about to expose the coffee bed. Stop pouring and remove the dripper when the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again (timing starts from bloom). Total extraction time: 2'00".

Tasting Notes

[Natural Red Label Geisha] Aromas of ginger flower and citrus. Entry reveals mature fruit, black tea, and citrus flavors, with sweet and sour fruit tea notes. The aftertaste carries berry sweetness with a relatively persistent sweet aftertaste.

[Washed Red Label Geisha] Wet aroma features ginger flower and jasmine notes. Entry presents lime and citrus acidity, with bergamot flavors in the mid-section and green tea sensations in the finish, accompanied by sugarcane sweetness in the aftertaste.

Knowledge Extension

The Esmeralda Special Selection Geisha batches can only be purchased through the annual cupping sessions organized by the estate itself. Hacienda La Esmeralda conducts independent auctions, and basically all coffees participating in these auctions are Geisha varieties.

Important Notice :

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