One of the Best Single-Origin Coffee Beans | Panama Deborah Estate Natural Geisha with Floral and Fruity Aroma Characteristics

Coffee beans with floral and fruity notes and a rich juice-like sensation have become increasingly popular in recent years, with Panama Geisha coffee being a prime example. Panama's coffee is renowned not for its quantity but for its unique flavor profiles, making it a top choice for many coffee enthusiasts.

Panama itself is a small country, but the areas where coffee is grown are even smaller. Panama's coffee industry is concentrated in three regions of Chiriquí Province: Boquete, Volcán, and Renacimiento. These three production areas are situated on both sides of the Barú Volcano, near the crater, in a region also known as the Valley of Flowers and Eternal Spring. This area boasts rich volcanic soil, humid air, abundant rainfall, dense vegetation, and cloud cover, all of which nourish the coffee trees and produce high-quality specialty coffee beans with rich flavors. The various microclimates also contribute to the production of coffee beans with diverse flavor characteristics.

Among these areas, Finca Deborah is located in the Volcán region. Finca Deborah is an environmentally friendly estate that operates on natural energy. Its processing plant is powered by a solar energy system, as traditional electricity cannot supply the power needed in this high-altitude remote location, prompting the estate to find its own way to generate electricity. This has allowed the estate to maintain the environmental integrity and uniqueness of the area. Additionally, as a shade-grown plantation, Deborah blends seamlessly with the mountain scenery of the region, preserving the natural environment and protecting the habitats of local birds and wildlife.

Finca Deborah is situated at an extremely high altitude of 1,900 meters in the volcanic region of Chiriquí Province, Panama. Deborah's Geisha is grown in the most primitive forest environment, making Finca Deborah one of the most remote and highest-altitude estates. At such high altitudes, nighttime temperatures can drop to around 10 degrees Celsius. The extreme altitude and lower temperatures slow down the growth rate of coffee trees, causing them to produce more nutrients and resulting in harder, denser coffee beans.

Finca Deborah is sheltered by rainforest, creating a beautiful and natural environment rich in rare species of flora and fauna. The estate completely avoids machines powered by non-renewable energy and strictly controls the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. Natural organic fertilizers are used extensively to maintain the growth balance between coffee trees and forest trees. Due to its high-altitude location, the spread of coffee diseases at Finca Deborah is minimized. The temperature not only inhibits fungal growth and other harmful diseases but also allows coffee trees to direct their nutrients and energy to the fruits rather than using them for self-protection against diseases and pests. These advantages also help the estate's operation by reducing operational and production cost fluctuations, thereby providing high-quality, reasonably priced coffee beans.

Jamison Savage: The Visionary Behind Finca Deborah

The owner of Finca Deborah, Jamison Savage, originally from New York, USA, worked in the financial industry before marrying his Panamanian wife and deciding to leave the fast-paced life of New York to dedicate himself to the Panamanian jungle. In 2007, Savage began planning the estate; in 2010, he planted the first Geisha coffee tree at an altitude exceeding 1,900 meters; in 2015, small batches were harvested; and in 2016, commercial harvesting began. During this period, many local Panamanian coffee farmers questioned whether coffee could be grown at such high altitudes, but Savage remained undeterred. The Geisha coffee took root, sprouted, and thrived in this harsh environment, ultimately refuting those unrealistic doubts with action and results.

Notably, Jamison Savage oversees three projects: the aforementioned Finca Deborah, as well as Morgan Estate and the Savage Series. Among these three projects, the Savage Series deserves special mention.

The Savage Series: A Collective Excellence

The Savage Series is a product of Savage Coffee, initiated by Jamison Savage. This project was launched in the Boquete region of Panama, with members consisting of small coffee estates and small-scale coffee farmers from both the Boquete and Volcán regions. The coffee cherries for the Savage Series are also harvested from these members. To ensure superior coffee flavor, all Geisha coffee cherries in the Savage Coffee project are fully mature red coffee cherries.

All members of the Savage Coffee series share the same vision: deep respect for the local ecological environment, and application of core principles such as sustainable development, exceptional quality, and technological innovation to their own lands.

Given such an excellent ecological environment, how could FrontStreet Coffee possibly miss the opportunity to taste it? Astute observers may have already noticed that FrontStreet Coffee's bean list features a coffee from Panama's Savage Coffee series.

FrontStreet Coffee's Finca Deborah Savage Series Geisha

• Origin: Volcán Region, Panama
• Estate: Finca Deborah
• Owner: Jamison Savage
• Altitude: 2000m - 2350m
• Variety: Geisha
• Grade: SHB
• Processing Method: Anaerobic Natural Processing

Finca Deborah owner Savage has spent over a decade researching post-harvest processing techniques for green coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee's Savage Series Geisha uses anaerobic natural processing, also developed by Savage himself.

The process begins with sun-drying fresh, ripe red coffee cherries in a greenhouse until they become shriveled. These dried coffee cherries are then placed in a sealed container, oxygen is removed, and they undergo dry fermentation for 36 hours. Finally, these anaerobically fermented coffee cherries are pulped, with 100% of the fruit pulp retained for secondary fermentation. After this series of operations, this Savage Geisha coffee offers a full-bodied texture, sweet and delicious flavors, and rich aromas of fresh fruits and flowers.

When FrontStreet Coffee's roasters received these high-quality green beans, they immediately began formulating a roasting plan. To highlight the coffee's floral notes, juice-like sensation, and acidity, they employed a medium-light roast. This coffee from the Savage Series features enticing white floral notes, along with the sweet and sour characteristics of pineapple and lactic drinks. With its full-bodied texture, FrontStreet Coffee's baristas have found it unforgettable and full of praise.

When FrontStreet Coffee's baristas brew this bean, they consider that it's lightly roasted, and lightly roasted coffee beans have lower material dissolution rates. To ensure full extraction of Geisha flavors, they use higher water temperatures for brewing. Additionally, they use a filter cup with a faster flow rate. Moreover, to better experience the layered complexity and flavors of Geisha coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:16.

• Filter: Hario V60
• Water Temperature: 93°C
• Coffee Amount: 15 grams
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:16
• Grind Size: 80% pass-through through a #20 sieve

FrontStreet Coffee uses a three-stage pouring method for brewing. First, pour 30 grams of water and let it bloom for 30 seconds. Then, using a small water stream, slowly pour in a circular motion to 130 grams for segmentation. When the water level in the filter drops to just above the coffee bed, continue pouring to 240 grams. Once all the water has dripped through into the sharing pot, remove the filter cup. The total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

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