Panama Geisha Coffee Brand: Hacienda La Esmeralda's Altitude-Based Geisha Grading System

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FrontStreet Coffee - Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Introduction

Origin: Panama

Region: Baru Volcano

Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda

Grade: SHB

Variety: Geisha

Growing Altitude: 1550M

Processing Method: Fine washed processing

Flavor Description: Oolong tea aroma, peach aroma, honey aroma, refreshing and comfortable, bright yet balanced, extremely layered aroma. The entire aroma is wrapped together with caramel sweetness. At entry, the tongue feels obvious fruit acidity, which becomes gentle and round in the mouth. The fruit sweetness and aftertaste are strong, like swallowing a mouthful of fresh fruit tea, clear and refreshing to the heart. The lower the temperature, the more delicate the acidity. The flavor is also quite long-lasting, making people feel very satisfied!

The Legend of Geisha

Hacienda La Esmeralda became famous overnight with its Geisha variety. The Geisha variety was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931 and later sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. It was then introduced to Uganda, Tanzania, and Costa Rica, where it performed unremarkably. It wasn't until it was transplanted to Panama in the 1960s that it made a stunning debut after nearly half a century. In 2005, 2006, and 2007, it defeated varieties like Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and Typica at BOP (Best of Panama), winning three consecutive championships.

In 2007, at the International Cupping Competition hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), Geisha won the championship again, with a bidding price of $130 per pound, setting the highest price record for competition beans in history. Geisha belongs to the Typica family. After leaving Ethiopia, it grew into the king of coffees on the land of Panama. With its rich floral and fruity aromas and transparent, bright acidity, it successfully conquered taste buds.

Geisha has full sweetness, an extremely clean mouthfeel, and rich aromas that extend from berries and citrus to mango, papaya, and peach flavors. A very distinct bergamot-like aftertaste is also its typical cupping attribute. To date, Geisha has always been the champion among coffee varieties.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Varieties

Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha has 3 brands, divided by altitude: Esmeralda Special (Red Label), selected from altitudes above 1550 meters; Boquete Geisha (Green Label), selected from 1500 meters; Esmeralda 1,500 (Blue Label), selected from Geisha varieties around 1500 meters altitude.

Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha is the new king of specialty coffees, commonly known as "Red Label Geisha," with high quality and high price. Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha coffee beans have several different classifications: Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label, with packaging colors distinguishing coffee grades. The Red Label has the smallest quantity and is the top-tier beans. According to the estate's terrain and different altitudes, it's divided into 10 plots and processed in both natural and washed methods. Due to its limited quantity, high reputation, and high demand, global online auctions are held after each harvest season, with the highest bidder winning. Therefore, Red Label Geisha is also known as Auction Geisha.

Starting in 2014, Shixia Specialty Coffee has continuously participated in auctions with industry peers, winning up to 4 boxes in one year (each box with a standard weight of 50 pounds).

About FrontStreet Coffee

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation just to let more friends fall in love with coffee. Moreover, there are three low-discount coffee activities every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest price. This has also been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

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