Were Panama Emerald Manor Coffee Beans Initially Geisha? How Are They Graded?

Hacienda La Esmeralda: The Legend of Panama's Geisha Coffee

The microclimate and volcanic soil of Panama's Baru Volcano have attracted many coffee estates to establish operations here, and Hacienda La Esmeralda is no exception. Located on a corner of Baru Volcano, Hacienda La Esmeralda was purchased by the Peterson family in 1964. At that time, coffee was not the main industry—they focused on dairy farming, and the estate served primarily as a place for personal leisure and entertainment. The estate had not yet achieved the reputation it enjoys today in the coffee world.

In 1973, Price Peterson divided the estate's coffee cultivation into three brands based on geographical conditions such as terrain and climate: Esmerala Special, Diamond Mountain Grows, and Palmyra. Since 2012, Geisha was added as the fourth brand.

Hacienda La Esmeralda is divided into four plots: Cañas Verdes, El Velo, Jaramillo, and Palmira. All coffee beans are sent to these four farms for post-processing. The Peterson family first purchased the Palmira farm. The high-quality Geisha is mainly produced from the Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes plots.

Jaramillo has an annual precipitation of 4000ml with significant day-night temperature differences, and an average altitude of 1600-1700 meters. Cañas Verdes receives 3500ml of annual rainfall with an average altitude of 1600-1800 meters. El Velo, the newest plot acquired by Hacienda La Esmeralda in 2012, has an average altitude of 1700-1900 meters. In addition to Geisha and Catuai, this plot also cultivates other rare foreign varieties such as Kenya's famous SL28.

The Discovery of Geisha

In 1996, second-generation estate owner Price Peterson acquired the Jaramillo plot. The coffee grown there had subtle citrus and floral notes, a flavor profile distinctly different from the typical berry-like characteristics of Central and South American coffees. In 2002, Price and his son Daniel theorized that this unique flavor profile might come from a specific variety from a particular growing area, so they began cupping coffee varieties from different altitudes throughout the estate one by one.

They discovered that this captivating flavor profile actually came from the windbreak forest on the edge of Jaramillo. This plot, situated at an altitude of 1500-2000 meters, grew coffee trees that were tall, sparse-leaved, low-yielding, and generally considered of low economic value—typically used only as windbreaks. However, the Petersons found that at 1400 meters altitude, these same trees produced flavors completely different from those at 1500 meters. They reached a consensus that these coffee trees must be grown at altitudes above 1500 meters to develop such unique flavors.

Through tracing its origins, they discovered that these coffee trees were introduced from Ethiopia in 1963, originally brought in to address disease problems in coffee cultivation at that time.

In 2004, at the Best of Panama green bean competition, Hacienda La Esmeralda won first place with this coffee variety. Since then, Geisha coffee beans have gained international fame.

The Three Grades of Geisha

Only coffee fruits grown at altitudes above 1400 meters develop the characteristic flavors of the Geisha variety. Based on growing altitude and cupping results, they are classified into three grades: Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label.

FrontStreet Coffee · Esmeralda Special (Red Label)

The Geisha selected for Esmeralda Special is what we commonly know as Red Label. Made from Geisha coffee beans grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters with cupping scores above 90 points, these beans come from the Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes regions. The Red Label beans that participate in the estate's independent auction are selected batches from designated plots. Customers often ask whether the auction Red Label tastes better than the regular Red Label. In fact, both non-auction and auction Red Labels come from the same plots—the difference lies only in whether they participated in the auction. FrontStreet Coffee believes it's not necessary to specifically seek out auction-grade coffee. First, the price is indeed quite high, and second, if you just want to try it, the regular Red Label is also an excellent choice.

FrontStreet Coffee's Red Label Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda comes from the Jaramillo plot. This grade of Geisha uses either natural or washed processing methods, with flavors featuring special, bright floral aromas and citrus notes.

FrontStreet Coffee · Private Collection (Green Label)

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, consists of batches that don't participate in independent competitions but are still Geisha varieties of excellent quality. Made from micro-lot blends grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters from different plots including Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes. People often ask about the difference between Red Label and Green Label. FrontStreet Coffee offers the most straightforward explanation: Red Label can be traced back to specific small plots, while Green Label is a blend that cannot be traced to individual plots. Due to the blending approach without detailed plot specifications, sometimes Green Label can have very similar flavor profiles to Red Label, but the next batch might be different. FrontStreet Coffee feels that drinking Green Label is like the excitement of buying a lottery ticket—perhaps this batch you're drinking has the flavor of Red Label. Frontsteet's Green Label Geisha is processed using natural/washed methods.

FrontStreet Coffee's Green Label Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda uses the washed processing method. The washed Green Label Geisha has fresh jasmine and ginger flower aromas, bright citrus-like acidity, and a thick, juicy mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee · Geisha 1500 (Blue Label)

The Geisha 1500 brand is what we commonly know as Blue Label Geisha. Made from blends grown at altitudes of 1400-1500 meters from three different plots: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo. The flavors feature subtle floral notes, fruit acidity, and sweetness, with a less full body. Frontsteet's Blue Label Geisha is only processed using the washed method. In previous years, Blue Label Geisha was only available in washed processing, but the 2020 harvest season introduced natural processing for Blue Label batches.

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