Panama Reserve Coffee Beans, The Secret of Green Label Geisha Variety, Why is Geisha So Special?

La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha

Country of Origin: Panama

Region: Boquete, La Esmeralda Estate

Variety: Panama Geisha

Processing Method: Natural Process

Altitude: 1600-1800 meters

FrontStreet Coffee recommends following SCA guidelines for pour-over coffee: 15g coffee grounds with 90-91°C hot water to 225ml, water-to-coffee ratio of 1:15.

Notable flavor characteristics include intense jasmine floral notes, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juice-like texture, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, with rich and complex flavor layers, and a persistent floral and citrus aftertaste.

Cupping Profile:

Dry Aroma: Jasmine, Ginger Flower

Wet Aroma: Lemon, Sweet Orange

Palate: Lemon, Sweet Orange, Honey, Cream, Almond, Tea-like Sensation

Green Label/Private Collection

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, is not from independent competition batches and does not participate in bidding, but represents Geisha varieties of excellent quality.

Green Label Geisha coffee beans are selected from micro-batches grown at altitudes of 1600m-1800m, sourced from different plots including Jaramillo, Cañas Verdess, and other locations.

Due to the blended nature of the beans, detailed plot information is not specified, so sometimes the flavor similarity between Green Label and Red Label can be very high, though subsequent productions may vary.

Although the Green Label is not as high-grade as the Red Label, it still possesses the classic Geisha flavors: floral notes, fruit aromas, citrus acidity, and a thick, juicy mouthfeel. Green Label Geisha is available in both washed and natural processing methods.

Because it grows at the same altitude as Red Label but is harvested as a blend, FrontStreet Coffee considers it the most cost-effective grade from Esmeralda. Green Label Geisha typically uses the washed processing method.

Panama borders Costa Rica and Colombia, with an east-to-west environment that allows cold air currents to flow through the central mountain range and converge at altitudes above 6500 meters.

This creates a unique microclimate in the Boquete and Piedra de Candela regions, with temperature and rainfall patterns perfectly suited for plant growth.

This microclimate region is the main coffee-producing area of Panama. Beyond climate, the surrounding land is nutrient-rich, and fertile soil provides perfect growing conditions for coffee, cultivating numerous unique, high-quality coffees.

In addition to natural factors, FrontStreet Coffee understands there's another important reason why Panamanian coffee has gained worldwide attention. FrontStreet Coffee believes that starting from the late 20th century, Panamanian coffee development can be described as having been born with a silver spoon.

Because the United States helped Panama build the canal in the late 20th century and also controlled it independently for a period, a large number of American elites moved south to Panama, partly for work needs and partly to explore business opportunities. La Esmeralda Estate is a testament to this elite trend era.

La Esmeralda Estate (Boquete)

La Esmeralda Estate is located on a corner of Baru Volcano, so coffee beans produced in this area were often named after Baru Mountain before becoming famous.

The Boquete surrounding area features beautiful scenery with numerous leisure hotels, villas, and vacation estates, even built along the important Rio Caldera river.

La Esmeralda Estate is located in Jaramillo on the right side of this river, and later expanded to cultivate coffee in the higher altitude area of Canas Verdes on the left side of the river.

All of this is thanks to Rudolph Peterson's decision to purchase this property at that time.

Thus, the biggest difference between these three labels is altitude. As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned in previous articles, higher altitude coffee beans generally have better flavor profiles.

Therefore, the quality of Red Label and Green Label is better than Blue Label. However, unlike Red Label Geisha, Green Label Geisha beans are harvested as a blend, while Red Label Geisha beans are from specified plots and participate in bidding, resulting in significant price differences.

However, FrontStreet Coffee believes the flavor difference between Red Label and Green Label Geisha is not significant, making Green Label much more cost-effective.

FrontStreet Coffee suggests that coffee enthusiasts who love Geisha coffee but have limited budgets might want to try Green Label Geisha.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473