Are Panama Coffee Varieties Arabica? The Distinctive Fruit Flavors of Panama Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Panama Coffee

Originally, Panama coffee didn't receive much attention until one day when Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda won the national coffee competition championship. It was so extraordinary, with fruit flavors and floral elements that seemed like they could have come from Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia, on the other side of the Earth. Of course, this is all old news now.

Today, Panama Geisha is synonymous with nobility and premium coffee. Some small farms have also acquired Geisha varieties and are eager to cultivate their own Geisha. However, the results vary significantly. Influenced by weather, soil, and altitude, the taste profile of this "star" variety seems to differ quite a bit when grown in different geographical locations.

The microclimates of Panama's highlands are the most important resource that makes Panama's specialty coffee unique. The Republic of Panama's east-to-west environment allows cold air currents to flow through the central mountain range and converge above 6,500 feet, creating various microclimates in the Boquete and Volcán-Candela regions, making them the main producing areas for Panama's specialty coffee. These specialty coffees are cultivated in the nutrient-rich, balanced soils of the Barú Volcano region.

Let's get to know the suddenly famous Panama Jade - Hacienda La Esmeralda. Panama coffee is generally cultivated on estates, and most estate owners are wealthy families. If you visit their estates, don't be surprised to be picked up by a private plane - yes, that's their level of influence. For this reason, the primary purpose of most estates growing coffee is not just to make money, but rather their attitude toward coffee, which is idealistic and pursuit-driven.

In 1924, Swede Hans Ellott established Hacienda La Esmeralda, which was not a coffee plantation at the time but a pasture. Forty years later, in 1964, Mr. Daniel Peterson's grandfather, Rudolph A. Peterson, purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda as a place to retire. Grandfather Rudolph A. Peterson was born in Sweden and had served as President of the Bank of America and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. His son, Brice Peterson, moved from California to Panama in 1973 to inherit and manage his father's farm. In 1987, he converted most of the farm to coffee cultivation, and in 1994, invested in specialized coffee processing equipment to establish the brand.

While Mr. Brice Peterson and his wife Susan were getting the coffee farm on track with proper management, they also raised three children: Elliott (born 1966 in Philadelphia), Rachel (born 1967 in Sweden), and Daniel (born 1974 in Panama). In 1996, Brice and Rachel visited a farm for sale in the Jaramillo area of the Boquete valley and were immediately captivated by its beauty, purchasing it on the spot. This became Hacienda Esmeralda Jaramillo, where their third son, Daniel Peterson, would grow the Geisha coffee that would capture the world's attention!

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation simply to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three low-discount coffee events because FrontStreet Coffee wants to offer the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends - this has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

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