Discovering Hartman Estate Geisha: Premium Panamanian Coffee from Volcan Region

Panamanian Coffee: World-Renowned Geisha

Panamanian coffee enjoys a distinguished reputation in the global coffee market, particularly the Geisha variety. As early as the late 19th century, European immigrants brought coffee to Panama for cultivation. In 2005, the Geisha variety grown at Hacienda La Esmeralda won the Best of Panama (BOP) competition and fetched an extraordinary price at auction, bringing both Panamanian coffee and the Geisha variety to prominence throughout the coffee world.

Geography and Climate of Panama

Panama is located in the southern part of Central America, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It connects with Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. The country's S-shaped territory connects North and South America, and the Panama Canal runs from north to south, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, earning it the nickname "World's Bridge." The entire territory features varied topography with numerous valleys and ravines. Besides the coastal plains in the north and south, the landscape is predominantly mountainous, featuring multiple volcanoes, forest resources, and rivers.

Situated near the equator, Panama has a tropical maritime climate with humid days and cool nights. The average annual temperature ranges from 23-27°C. The year is divided into dry and rainy seasons, with an average annual rainfall of 1,500-2,500 millimeters. These geographical factors have created Panama's complex and varied microclimates. The environmental conditions from east to west allow cold air currents to flow through the central mountain range and converge at altitudes above 6,500 feet. This creates a unique microclimate in the Boquete and Volcán Candela regions, making them the main coffee-producing areas of Panama. The surrounding lands are nutrient-rich, and these fertile soils provide perfect growing conditions for coffee cultivation.

Volcán-Candela Growing Region

Panama's main coffee-growing regions are Boquete, Volcán-Candela, and Renacimiento. These regions are all located around three of the country's volcanoes: Volcán Barú, El Valle, and La Yeguada.

Although Boquete is more well-known than the Volcán-Candela region, in recent years, many excellent estates from Volcán-Candela have appeared in recent Panama BOP competitions and achieved impressive results. The Volcán-Candela region is located in the western area of Volcán Barú, at altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 1,600 meters. Although the average rainfall is lower than in Boquete, the same high altitude and fertile volcanic soils provide an excellent growing environment for coffee trees. Currently, renowned estates in the Volcán-Candela region include Ninety Plus Gesha Estate, Finca Aurora, and Finca Hartmann.

Finca Hartmann

This estate is located in the western region of Volcán Barú, at altitudes of 1,500-2,300 meters. The estate's founder, Alois Strasil Hartmann, was born in Czechoslovakia. Due to political instability in his home country, he decided to live abroad. Initially moving to New York, he later traveled to Panama and finally settled in the Volcán-Candela region. In 1912, he established the farm there and began growing coffee. He later married and had a son, Hartmann Troetsch. Beginning in 1940, Troetsch inherited his father's land and took over the work, thus establishing the history of Finca Hartmann that continues to this day. Therefore, it can be said that Finca Hartmann is a pioneer in the Volcán-Candela region.

In the early development of the estate, the owner decided to preserve most of the original forest within the farm. This concept of forest conservation has been passed down to the third-generation owners. Consequently, coffee cultivation currently occupies only about 20% of the estate. Due to forest protection, the estate is home to numerous native birds, and the locally famous toucan has become the estate's official logo. Currently, the estate is jointly operated by five children, with each child taking responsibility for different aspects of coffee cultivation management, harvesting and processing, and estate tours. In 2013, they also acquired the Guarumo Coffee Farm north of Finca Hartmann. Currently, Finca Hartmann grows a wide variety of coffee beans, including Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Bourbón, Pacamara, Maragogipe, and Geisha.

The Geisha Coffee Variety

The Geisha variety originated in Ethiopia in the 1930s. It was later introduced to Tanzania in 1936, then to Costa Rica in 1953, and finally brought to Panama from Costa Rica in 1970. However, at that time, the focus was on quantity rather than quality, and the Geisha plant's branches are relatively weak, making it unfavorable among farmers who did not widely cultivate it. The specialty coffee wave later led people to begin focusing on the flavor of the coffee beans themselves, emphasizing quality. By 2005, Hacienda La Esmeralda used the Geisha variety in the BOP competition, and with its delicate floral aroma, jasmine fragrance, and flavors of peach and bergamot, along with exceptionally high scores, the variety gained widespread recognition.

The Geisha variety is suitable for cultivation at altitudes above 1,600 meters, with higher altitudes generally producing better quality. In terms of plant characteristics, Geisha trees have thin, elongated leaves with green or bronze-tipped young leaves at the apex. The branches are slender and widely spaced. The coffee cherries are mainly red or yellow, and the green beans are typically elongated. The overall tree structure is large but relatively fragile. Although it has some resistance to coffee leaf rust, it is susceptible to nematodes and coffee berry disease, requiring careful cultivation.

FrontStreet Coffee: Panama Hartmann Estate Geisha

FrontStreet Coffee has also sourced this Geisha from Hartmann Estate, which uses anaerobic natural processing and is lightly roasted. FrontStreet Coffee uses a V60 with a 1:15 ratio at 92°C for brewing. You'll detect white floral aromas, and upon tasting, experience multi-layered, varied fruit acidity with flavors of bergamot, pineapple, and blueberry. The mouthfeel is silky and smooth, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea, with a persistent sweet aftertaste.

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