Where Does the Panama Geisha Coffee Variety Come From? La Esmeralda Estate Launches New Season Natural Process Blue Label Geisha

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Since 2004, when Panama's Geisha coffee first revealed its exquisite qualities and consistently achieved outstanding results, the world has recognized Panama as the "birthplace of extraordinary Geisha coffee," establishing it as the new leader in the specialty coffee industry. The rich floral notes, citrusy acidity, and honey-like sweetness of Panama Geisha coffee have captivated many coffee connoisseurs, including FrontStreet Coffee. The success of Panama Geisha owes much to the Peterson family's La Esmeralda Estate in the Boquete region.

Boquete

Panamanian coffee is primarily grown on the eastern and western slopes of the Baru Volcano in the western part of the country. Boquete is located on the eastern slope of Baru Volcano, characterized by cool, foggy conditions and mountainous geography that create unique microclimates. The cool climate and frequent fog help slow down the maturation process of coffee cherries, similar to the effects of high altitude. Coffee flavors from this region range from cocoa to fruit notes with subtle acidity.

La Esmeralda Estate

La Esmeralda Estate is located in Boquete. In 1964, American banker Rudolph Peterson retired and moved to Panama, purchasing the La Esmeralda Estate in Boquete, which initially focused on dairy farming. Later, his son Price resigned from his medical practice to help his father manage the farm. In 1987, they introduced Caturra and Catuai coffee varieties, and in 1994, established a wet processing plant, giving them their own coffee processing facility. In 1996, they acquired the nearby Jaramillo Estate, which had superior geographical conditions and existing coffee varieties with excellent flavors, incorporating it into La Esmeralda Estate.

Initially, the Peterson family sold coffee from both estates as a blend, but they always noticed a subtle floral and citrus aroma in these coffee beans. This blended flavor somewhat resembled berry fragrance. In 2002, the owner's son believed this aroma came from coffee beans produced in one of the estates. Through cupping different varieties from various growing areas at different altitudes in both estates, they sought to identify the source of this distinctive aroma.

The Enchanting Aroma from Windbreak Trees in Harsh Conditions

Through cupping, the Peterson family discovered that the coffee beans emitting this captivating aroma actually came from the windbreak area of Jaramillo Estate. The Peterson father and son were drawn to Jaramillo precisely because of its existing coffee trees, which carried pleasant citrus and fruity aromas unlike typical Panamanian coffee flavors. This area was the highest altitude in the estate, approximately 1500-2000m, where coffee trees grew tall with sparse leaves and produced low yields. Consequently, the owner used them as windbreaks to protect other high-yield coffee areas from strong winds.

At that time, the owner didn't know what variety of coffee trees was planted there. In such windy conditions with low temperatures, ordinary coffee trees couldn't survive, yet this mysterious variety thrived. The coffee cherries were also plumper than those of typical varieties and less likely to be blown off by wind. Although the yield was only 25-30% of Caturra's, the floral and citrus aromas were captivating. Interestingly, when this variety was planted below 1400m altitude, it lacked the floral and citrus characteristics and developed more bitter notes.

This Mysterious Variety is Now the Renowned Geisha

Geisha coffee beans are elongated in shape with refreshing and pleasant flavors. From these two characteristics, Geisha indeed resembles Ethiopian coffee varieties more than Central and South American varieties. So when was Geisha introduced to Panama? It was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931. Afterward, Geisha was sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania, in 1953 to Costa Rica, and approximately in 1960 to Panama.

Although Geisha had strong disease resistance, its low yield led to its disappearance after being used for variety improvement. It wasn't rediscovered until the estate owner found it again in the windbreak area. Although the Petersons weren't the ones who originally introduced this variety, they were indeed the "talent scouts" who recognized Geisha coffee's potential. In 2004, the father and son separated the Geisha from this area and entered it in the 2004 BOP (Best of Panama) cupping competition. Its aroma and flavor indeed captivated the judges, making it famous overnight and setting a record price of $21 per kilogram at that time.

La Esmeralda Estate Block Classification

La Esmeralda Estate meticulously divides the areas where Geisha is grown, primarily into three main blocks: Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, and El Velo. Each block is further subdivided into smaller plots.

Jaramillo has an annual rainfall of 4000ml, with average daytime temperatures between 19-25°C and nighttime temperatures between 11-15°C. The average altitude is 1600-1700m. The Jaramillo block is subdivided into 5 smaller plots: Mario, Noria, Reina, Bosque, and Buenos Aires.

Canas Verdes has an annual rainfall of 3500ml, with average daytime temperatures between 16-23°C and nighttime temperatures between 10-15°C. The average altitude is 1600-1800m. Canas Verdes includes 9 smaller plots: Lino, Coronado, Fundador, León, Montaña, Trapiche, Chinta, Cabaña, and Tumaco.

El Velo is the most recently acquired block of La Esmeralda Estate, with an average altitude of 1700-1900m. In addition to Geisha and Catuai, this block also has small quantities of other exotic varieties such as Laurina, Pacamara, Mocha, and SL28. El Velo is divided into 7 smaller plots: Guabo, Portón, Durazno, Higuerón, Higo, Buena Vista, and Águila.

La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Classification

After years of experimentation, La Esmeralda Estate discovered that only Geisha grown above 1400 meters altitude can display its refined characteristic flavors. Therefore, La Esmeralda Estate primarily classifies the Geisha coffee grown on the estate into three grades, based mainly on growing altitude, supplemented by actual cupping results.

Esmeralda Special

Esmeralda Special is what we commonly know as the Red Label. It is selected from Geisha beans grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, with cupping scores above 90 points, produced in the Jaramillo and Canas Verdes regions. Red Label batches may be processed using either washed or natural methods.

Red Label batches can only be obtained through global auctions. Customers often ask whether auction-winning Red Label or regular Red Label tastes better. In fact, non-auction Red Label and auction-winning Red Label come from the same plots, with the only difference being whether they participated in the auction. FrontStreet Coffee believes it's not necessary to exclusively drink auction-level coffee, firstly because the price is indeed higher, and secondly, if you're just trying it out, the regular Red Label is also an excellent choice. FrontStreet Coffee's La Esmeralda Estate Red Label Geisha comes from the El Velo block. This grade of Geisha uses natural or washed processing methods, with flavors featuring distinctive, bright floral notes and citrus aromas.

Private Collection

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, consists of batches that don't participate in independent competitions but are still outstanding quality Geisha varieties. It is selected from Geisha beans grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, representing micro-batch blends from different plots including Jaramillo and Canas Verdes.

Since it uses a blending approach without detailed plot specifications, sometimes the flavor similarity between Green Label and Red Label can be very high, but the next batch might differ. FrontStreet Coffee feels that drinking Green Label is like a lottery experience—perhaps this batch might taste like the Red Label. Green Label Geisha is processed using natural/washed methods. FrontStreet Coffee's La Esmeralda Estate Green Label Geisha uses the washed processing method, which yields Green Label Geisha with fresh jasmine and ginger flower aromas, bright citrus-like acidity, and a thick, juicy mouthfeel.

Geisha 1500

Geisha 1500 is commonly known as Blue Label. It is grown at altitudes of 1400-1500 meters, with Blue Label blending Geisha coffee beans from three different plots: Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, and El Velo. In previous years, Blue Label Geisha was only available in washed processing, while this year's Blue Label batches have added natural processing methods.

FrontStreet Coffee's washed Blue Label Geisha has subtle floral notes, fruit acidity, and sweetness, with a relatively less full-bodied mouthfeel. The natural processed Blue Label has subtle floral aromas, noticeable fermentation notes, and a berry juice-like mouthfeel with high sweetness. FrontStreet Coffee believes that La Esmeralda Blue Label's introduction of natural processing this season is undoubtedly a benefit for consumers. Previously, to enjoy natural processed La Esmeralda Estate Geisha, one had to purchase the more expensive Red/Green Label. Natural Blue Label allows consumers to purchase natural processed Geisha from La Esmeralda Estate at a lower price with high cost-effectiveness.

La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Processing Methods

Natural Processing

For natural processing at La Esmeralda Estate, harvested coffee cherries are sent directly to patios for drying. The coffee cherries slowly dry while the coffee beans inside absorb fruity and aromatic compounds. The coffee cherries are dried evenly. Depending on weather and patio composition, coffee is dried on concrete patios for 3 to 5 days (8 hours daily). When it reaches sufficient dryness, it's placed in a Guardiola dryer for 72 hours to complete the drying process and prevent fermentation. After drying is complete, machines are used to remove the pulp and other parts.

The Guardiola is the preferred drying method when coffee batch size permits, as it can handle large quantities of coffee. The Guardiola is a horizontally rotating drum that allows warm air to circulate around the beans, eliminating moisture. After the coffee beans are dried, they are placed in nylon bags and stored in the warehouse for 30 to 45 days. This step, also known as "reposo," helps stabilize the coffee beans and improve cup quality.

Washed Processing

For washed processing at La Esmeralda Estate, harvested berries have most of their pulp removed from the coffee beans using a depulper. The parchment coffee is then directed to a clean water tank, where it's soaked in water for fermentation to completely remove the remaining pulp layer. Through water processing, unripe and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy differences.

Next, depulping is performed, also called pulping, which removes the fruit skin from the coffee cherries using machines, leaving coffee beans with mucilage. These are placed in fermentation tanks to ferment for 1 to 2 days to break down the mucilage attached to the coffee beans. Then the coffee beans are thoroughly cleaned with clean water, and the parchment beans are dried until the moisture content reaches 12% for storage. The parchment is removed before export.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Insights

[Natural Red Label Geisha] Yangjia 800N, 380g bean input

Heat to 150°C at entry,火力120, damper open to 3; Return temperature point at 1'36", when temperature reaches 140°C, open damper to 4, firepower unchanged; When temperature reaches 147.6°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When temperature reaches 150°C, adjust firepower to 100, damper unchanged; At 7'38", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 8'10", open damper to 4, develop for 1'28 after first crack, discharge at 189.5°C.

[Green Label Geisha] Yangjia 800N, 500g bean input

Heat to 190°C at entry, firepower 150, damper open to 3; Return temperature point at 1'36", when temperature reaches 140°C, open damper to 4, firepower reduced to 130; When temperature reaches 150.8°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When temperature reaches 166°C, adjust firepower to 110, damper unchanged; At 7'55", when temperature reaches 176°C, adjust firepower to 90; Bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 8'30", open damper to 5, adjust firepower to 60 at 187°C; Develop for 1'30 after first crack, discharge at 193.5°C.

[Washed Blue Label Geisha] Yangjia 800N, 480g bean input

Heat to 180°C at entry, firepower 130, damper open to 3; Return temperature point at 1'32", when temperature reaches 130°C, open damper to 4, firepower unchanged; When temperature reaches 151.6°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. At 7'56", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 8'30", open damper to 5, develop for 1'28 after first crack, discharge at 190°C.

[Natural Blue Label Geisha] Yangjia 800N, 480g bean input

Heat to 180°C at entry, firepower 130, damper open to 3; Return temperature point at 1'32", when temperature reaches 130°C, open damper to 4, firepower unchanged; When temperature reaches 151.6°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. At 7'56", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 8'30", open damper to 5, develop for 1'28 after first crack, discharge at 190°C.

FrontStreet Coffee La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Cupping Report

[Red Label Geisha Cupping]

Dry Aroma: Jasmine, citrus

Wet Aroma: Citrus, lemon, honey

Palate: Lemon, honey, berries, orange peel, mango, cream, citrus, tea-like notes

[Green Label Geisha Cupping]

Dry Aroma: Jasmine, ginger flower

Wet Aroma: Lemon, sweet orange

Palate: Lemon, sweet orange, honey, cream, almond, tea-like notes

[Washed Blue Label Geisha Cupping]

Dry Aroma: Floral, citrus

Wet Aroma: Citrus, lemon

Palate: Citrus, lemon, honey, nuts, tea-like notes

[Natural Blue Label Geisha Cupping]

Dry Aroma: Fermentation, caramel

Wet Aroma: Floral, fermentation aroma

Palate: Lemon, honey, melon, berries, fermentation notes

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Insights

Dripper: V60 #01

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind: BG6m (80% passing through #20 sieve)

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

*Regarding grind size, FrontStreet Coffee determines this through sieving. Based on grinding recommendations for pour-over coffee provided by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), FrontStreet Coffee combines practical verification, using different grind sizes for brewing, which produces noticeably different results. Moreover, each coffee variety requires different grind sizes, which is the significance of sieving. If you don't have a sieve at home, FrontStreet Coffee suggests observing flow rate to determine grind size—too fast flow indicates too coarse, while too slow flow indicates too fine.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing: Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in small circular motions to 125g before segmenting. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops again and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from bloom) Extraction time is 2'00"-2'20".

[Red Label Geisha Brewing Flavor] Bright rose and citrus aromas, brown rice, berries, apricots, complex fruits, honey, with a thick juice-like mouthfeel and rich flavor layers with prominent sweetness.

[Green Label Geisha Brewing Flavor] Rich jasmine flower aroma, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juice-like quality, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, with overall rich flavor layers and a lasting floral and citrus aftertaste.

[Washed Blue Label Brewing Flavor] Floral notes, with gentle lemon and grapefruit acidity on entry, honey sweetness in the middle, and oolong tea notes and brown sugar sweetness in the finish, with a relatively clean and bright mouthfeel.

[Natural Blue Label Brewing Flavor] Aroma of fermentation and fruit sweetness, with sweet melon and tropical fruit sweetness when tasting, a juice-like mouthfeel, and overall very high sweetness.

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