Panama ASD Anaerobic Low-Temperature Slow-Dried Natural Coffee: Flavor Profile of Santos Estate Geisha Coffee Beans

Santos Estate

Santos Estate, known as Santos Café Panamá, is located in the Nacimiento region of Santa Clara, Panama. The estate has been owned by the Lezcano family since 1947 and has now been passed down to the fifth generation, Diego Lezcano.

Coffee has been cultivated within Santos Estate since its establishment, though on a limited scale. It wasn't until seven years ago when they acquired La Mimada Estate that the family began dedicating themselves to producing specialty coffee batches.

Estate owner Mario Lezcano recognized the exceptional growing conditions at La Mimada Estate, so in 2014, he purchased this land and established a professional team to optimize coffee production. In 2021, the Pacamara "White Stallion" coffee beans produced by La Mimada Estate won the Best of Panama (BOP) championship in the Traditional Washed category, and Santos Estate began to gain significant attention.

Currently, Santos Estate comprises three sub-estates: El Bajo, Bartolo, and La Mimada. The coffee cultivation area spans approximately 55 hectares with 32,000 coffee trees. The estate's altitude ranges from 1,100m to 1,400m. Located near Barú Volcano, the nutrient-rich volcanic soil provides excellent growing conditions. Ample daytime sunlight combined with appropriate shade from estate trees creates an ideal environment. Nighttime temperatures drop to as low as 13°C, and this significant diurnal temperature variation allows coffee beans to absorb more nutrients, resulting in superior coffee flavors.

In addition to Geisha, La Mimada Estate also cultivates coffee varieties such as Pacamara, Caturra, Catuaí, and Yellow Bourbon.

ASD Processing Method

The Geisha from Santos Estate uses the ASD processing method, also known as Anaerobic Fermentation Slow-Drying Natural processing.

The coffee cherries are harvested and placed in sealed containers for 24-72 hours of fermentation. The microorganisms and yeasts produced within the containers enhance the flavor profile of the coffee cherries. The cherries are then spread in thick layers on drying beds. Due to the high local temperatures during harvest season, workers turn the cherries every two hours to ensure even drying. At night, the coffee is covered to protect it from rain, then spread out again the next day. This process continues for approximately 15 days until the coffee beans reach a moisture content of 11%, indicating that drying is complete. Throughout the entire processing stage, manual defect sorting is performed, resulting in a very low defect rate and higher quality coffee flavors during brewing.

Geisha coffee processed using the ASD method presents berry and hawthorn acidity, with rich aromas of dark berries and a smooth, black tea-like mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee: Santos Estate Geisha Coffee Beans

Region: Panama, Boquete Region, Santos Estate

Altitude: 1,400m

Variety: Geisha

Processing Method: ASD Anaerobic Fermentation Slow-Drying Natural

Flavor Notes: Hawthorn, Dark Fruits, Fermentation Notes, Black Tea Finish

To preserve the floral and fruity characteristics of Santos Estate's Geisha, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters chose a medium-light roast. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee found that this Geisha presents rich fermentation notes and dark floral aromas in the dry fragrance, with substantial acidity from tropical fruits and hawthorn, and a texture as smooth as black tea.

Since Geisha coffee beans are grown at higher altitudes, they have a dense, hard texture. With a lighter roast degree, the coffee bean density doesn't change significantly, so FrontStreet Coffee uses higher water temperature and medium-fine grind size for extraction. Parameters are as follows:

Dripper: V60

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Coffee Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Fine sugar consistency (78% retention on #20 sieve)

Three-Stage Extraction: Pour coffee grounds into the V60 dripper, wet the coffee bed with twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds, and bloom for 30 seconds. Then, using a gentle water flow, pour in concentric circles from inside to out until reaching 125g, then pause. Wait until the coffee bed drops to half the dripper's height, then continue with the same gentle water flow for the third stage until reaching 225g. Remove the dripper once all coffee liquid has filtered through, with a total time of approximately 2 minutes (±10 seconds).

FrontStreet Coffee's Santos Estate Geisha presents flavors of dark berries and tropical fruits, with substantial acidity from hawthorn and hibiscus, honey-like sweetness, and a black tea finish. The texture is rich and full-bodied with complex layers.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

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Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473