Panama's Renowned Coffee Estates | Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Coffee Bean Varieties and Flavor Profile

Panama enjoys a very high reputation in the global coffee market. When it comes to Panamanian coffee, many people think of the Geisha variety, and when discussing Panamanian Geisha, Hacienda La Esmeralda cannot be overlooked. In 2005, Hacienda La Esmeralda won the Best of Panama (BOP) competition with their Geisha, breaking the coffee auction record at that time. But does Hacienda La Esmeralda only have Geisha? Actually, no. Hacienda La Esmeralda has four varieties under its brand, and today we will introduce one of them: Diamond Mountain.

What is Diamond Mountain?

Hacienda La Esmeralda divides its coffee into two main categories based on variety: Geisha and Catuai. Under the Geisha category, there are Esmeralda Special, Private Collection, and Geisha 1500, which we commonly know as Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label.

Under the Catuai category, there are two brands: Diamond Mountain and Palmyra. The Catuai variety has been cultivated in Panama for a long time and is widely loved for its high yield, disease resistance, and clean, bright flavor profile.

Diamond Mountain coffee comes from two of Hacienda La Esmeralda's highest-yielding and most renowned farms: Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes, with cultivation altitudes ranging from 1,400 to 1,700 meters. Diamond Mountain brand coffee is both environmentally friendly (Eco-friendly) and Rainforest Alliance Certified.

Jaramillo has an annual rainfall of 4,000ml, with average daytime temperatures between 19-25°C and nighttime temperatures between 11-15°C, at an average altitude of 1,600-1,700m. Jaramillo produces many of Hacienda La Esmeralda's high-quality Geisha coffees, with the 2004 BOP champion beans originating from Jaramillo. This farm is further divided into five small plots: Mario, Noria, Reina, Bosque, and Buenos Aires.

The other Diamond Mountain farm, Cañas Verdes, has an annual rainfall of 3,500ml, with average daytime temperatures between 16-23°C and nighttime temperatures between 10-15°C, at an average altitude of 1,600-1,800m. Cañas Verdes includes nine small plots: Lino, Coronado, Fundador, León, Montaña, Trapiche, Chinta, Cabaña, and Tumaco.

Diamond Mountain Coffee Introduction - Catuai Variety

We know that coffee flavor is largely influenced by the coffee variety, and the delicate flavors of Geisha coffee are precisely what made this variety popular. Diamond Mountain's variety is Catuai, cultivated at Hacienda La Esmeralda.

Catuai comes from the Guaraní word "multo mom," meaning "very good." There are Yellow Catuai and Red Catuai varieties. The Catuai variety was created in 1949 by crossing Yellow Caturra with Mundo Novo, initially named H-2077. Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, while Mundo Novo is a natural hybrid of Bourbon and Typica. Therefore, the Catuai variety combines the advantages of both: high yield, disease resistance, and clean, bright flavors. Compared to Bourbon, Catuai has a very high yield, partly because the plant is smaller, allowing for shorter spacing between plants. The planting density of Catuai is almost twice that of Bourbon.

Despite its extremely high yield, the flavor potential is also significant. The foundation of Diamond Mountain coffee comes from the Catuai variety, providing pleasant citrus acidity, solid and full body, and the high sweetness characteristic of Bourbon varieties.

Diamond Mountain Coffee's Added Value - Hacienda La Esmeralda's Processing Method

In addition to its superior growing environment and high-yielding variety, one of Diamond Mountain coffee's advantages comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda's mature processing techniques. The Diamond Mountain coffee we cupped uses the natural processing method from Hacienda La Esmeralda. At Hacienda La Esmeralda, harvested coffee cherries are sent directly to patios for drying. The coffee cherries are dried evenly, and as characteristic of natural processed coffee, they are dried with the pulp intact, allowing the coffee beans to absorb sugars from the fruit, developing more fruity and fermented aromas.

Depending on weather and patio composition, the coffee is dried on concrete patios for 3 to 5 days (8 hours per day). When it reaches sufficient dryness, it is 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 Hacienda La Esmeralda's preferred drying method. As long as the coffee batch size allows, the Guardiola can process large quantities of coffee. The Guardiola is a horizontal rotating drum that allows warm air to circulate around the beans, thereby removing moisture and reducing the chance of mold growth.

After drying, the coffee beans 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 enhance cup flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee's Diamond Mountain Roasting Profile

FrontStreet Coffee's Diamond Mountain Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee's Diamond Mountain Brewing Recommendations

Filter: V60 #01
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Coffee Dose: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method: Three-stage extraction. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. Using a small water stream, pour in a circular motion to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop and is about to expose the coffee bed, then remove the filter cup. (Timing starts from the bloom) Total extraction time: 2'00".

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