Panama Janson Estate Geisha: The Champagne of Coffee - Panama Janson Estate Red Label Geisha

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FrontStreet Coffee - Panama Janson Estate Red Label Geisha

Panama Janson Estate Geisha

• Estate: Janson Estate
• Region: Volcan Region
• Variety: Geisha
• Processing: Natural
• Altitude: 1750m
• Flavor: Delicate berry notes, clean mouthfeel, honey and lychee flavors

About Janson Estate

In 2004, the Peterson family of Panama first introduced the Geisha variety to the world, and since then, its popularity has been unstoppable. The international community went crazy overnight for Janson Estate's Geisha, calling it the champagne of the coffee world. In 2013, the Panama Coffee Award presented by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP) had a new contender—Carl Janson's Janson Estate Geisha.

The unique microclimate of Panama's highlands is the most important resource that makes Panama coffee truly distinctive. The east-to-west environment of the Republic of Panama allows cold air currents to gather above 6,500 feet as they flow through the central mountain range. This creates various microclimates in the Boquete and Volcán–Candela regions, making them the main production areas for Panama's distinctive coffees. These distinctive coffees are cultivated in the nutrient-rich, balanced soils of the Baru Volcano region. The appropriate microclimate, soil, temperature, and altitude of these highlands are suitable for the sowing, cultivation, and harvesting of various distinctive coffees.

Estate owner Mr. Janson (Carl Janson) was originally Swiss but fell deeply in love with the Volcan region when he came to Panama, a place surrounded by mountains similar to his homeland Switzerland. After marrying his wife Margaret, he purchased this estate in 1940. Carl Janson, an enthusiastic rancher, was also the first person to raise Angus cattle in Panama.

Geisha, Also Known as "艺妓"

The pronunciation of "Geisha" originates from Geisha Mountain in Ethiopia, hence it has another nickname "Geisha coffee"; because the tree variety is taller than typical coffee trees, it was originally planted in a small area within the estate and used as a windbreak.

Geisha is a Variety

First, the Geisha seeds were discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931 and later sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, they were introduced to Uganda and Tanzania; in 1953, Costa Rica introduced them.

For a long time, not many people paid attention to Geisha. Until one day, Don Pachi initially brought it from the small town of GESHA in southwestern Ethiopia to Costa Rica, after which Geisha entered Panama along the southern route. Panama's La Esmeralda Estate separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship, which officially brought Geisha into everyone's view.

Geisha coffee is particularly picky about its growing environment, requiring high altitude, cloud and shade protection, fertile soil, and sufficient accumulated temperature.

In 2013, the Best Panama Coffee Award presented by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP) had a new contender! It was Carl Janson's Janson Estate Geisha variety! Also known as "the champagne of the coffee world." Full jasmine floral aroma and delicate berry notes, clean mouthfeel, honey and lychee flavors.

Geisha possesses 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 one of its typical cupping attributes. To date, Geisha has remained the champion among coffee varieties.

Janson Geisha is relatively less heard of domestically because Janson Estate mainly focuses on domestic sales rather than exports. Under these conditions of high altitude, nutrient-rich volcanic soil, abundant rainfall, and suitable temperatures, Janson Estate has gradually become the second-largest Geisha-producing estate among Panama's estates, with 50% of the estate planted with Geisha variety coffee trees.

To maintain the balance of the natural environment, Janson Estate simultaneously operates livestock farming and coffee cultivation, and currently three generations of the family jointly manage this estate. Today, Carl's four sons run the farm: Carl, Michael, Ricky, and Peter. Carl manages the JANSON FAMILY coffee roasting facilities, and Michael runs part of the coffee farm. Ricky and Peter assist with overall management.

With an average altitude of about 1,700 meters, the estate is covered with nutrient-rich volcanic soil, abundant rainfall, and suitable temperatures. The Janson family's managers all follow environmentally friendly management principles, adopting 100% sustainable cultivation methods. They have also built specialized processing plants to use coffee cherries as farm fertilizer after processing; only 2,000 Geisha plants are planted per hectare to ensure sufficient soil between plants; half of the estate is planted with Geisha, ranking second in Panama's Geisha production, and each batch of green beans has a highly recognizable batch number, making it 100% traceable.

This estate not only has a dedicated processing plant to handle its coffee cherries but also puts considerable effort into roasting to enhance the reference value of cupping results. These efforts have continuously improved the quality of Janson Estate's coffee beans, and their achievements have enabled Janson Estate Geisha to obtain runner-up results in the Panama (BOP) competition.

In recent years, coffee from the Volcan region has gradually emerged in the specialty market, and quite a few estates have entered the Best of Panama competition and even won championships. The Volcan region generally has less average annual rainfall than Boquete, and its geographical location on the west side of Baru Volcano also gives the coffee stronger dried fruit flavors, sweetness, and aroma compared to the Boquete region.

In the early days, the Volcan region mostly grew fruits, vegetables, and other cash crops, with only a few farmers engaged in coffee cultivation. Among the pioneers of coffee cultivation in the Volcan region are the well-known Hartman family and the Janson family in Panama.

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