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Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Grading! What Coffee Variety is Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain? How to Brew Pour-Over Coffee with Rich Layers?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Since Hacienda La Esmeralda won the BOP championship with Geisha in 2004, it has not only gained the fame it deserves but also introduced the world to the delicious flavor of Geisha. Therefore, whenever we mention Hacienda La Esmeralda, we always associate it with Geisha. But did you know that besides Geisha, Hacienda La Esmeralda

Introduction to Diamond Mountain

Since Hacienda La Esmeralda won the BOP championship with Geisha in 2004, not only has it gained matching fame, but it has also allowed the world to discover the deliciousness of Geisha. Therefore, whenever we mention Hacienda La Esmeralda, we always associate it with Geisha. But did you know that besides Geisha, Hacienda La Esmeralda also produces other coffee varieties? Among them, the most famous is Diamond Mountain.

Brewing Challenges

Many friends stocked up on FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Diamond Mountain during FrontStreet Coffee's monthly event a couple of days ago. However, when they got the beans, they found that the brewed coffee always fell somewhat short - simply put, it was plain and lacked complexity. But that's okay. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will share how to properly brew this FrontStreet Coffee Panama Diamond Mountain bean.

What is Frontsteet Diamond Mountain?

Frontsteet Diamond Mountain is actually a series sold by Hacienda La Esmeralda, similar to their Red and Green Label Geishas - it's a separate product line. Under the Diamond Mountain product line, the main variety sold is Catuai. These Catuai beans come from the two highest-altitude estates under Hacienda La Esmeralda - "Cañas Verdes" and "Jaramillo." The average growing altitude ranges from 1,400 to 1,700 meters.

Growing Region

Since the Frontsteet Diamond Mountain series comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda, the growing region is naturally the renowned Boquete. Boquete is a town in Panama's Chiriquí province, with altitudes ranging from 1,400 to 1,900 meters. It is situated near the border between Panama and Costa Rica. Because it's close to the Central Mountain Range, the Boquete region not only has abundant rainfall throughout the year but also boasts numerous microclimates! Additionally, this region benefits from the Barú Volcano, providing its crops with nourishment from volcanic soil, making it an exceptionally suitable environment for coffee cultivation.

About Catuai Variety

Let's talk about Catuai. The name Catuai comes from the Guaraní language "Molto mom," meaning "very good." It is a hybrid variety of Yellow Catuaí and Mundo Novo, initially named "H-2011." And the overall performance of Catuai truly lives up to this name. Because compared to conventional Arabica varieties, Catuai not only possesses excellent flavor characteristics but also boasts high yield and disease resistance. Furthermore, it has relatively less demanding requirements for growing altitude and environment. Therefore, many renowned coffee estates plant Catuai in areas not suitable for growing Geisha.

However, we need to know that the reason Catuai can have high yields is because its plants are smaller than other Arabica varieties, much smaller. This allows the spacing between plants to be reduced, with planting density being double that of conventional Arabica varieties (like Bourbon), so yields naturally increase accordingly.

Processing Method

The Frontsteet Diamond Mountain that FrontStreet Coffee acquired uses natural processing! Natural processing involves sun-drying the entire coffee fruit, with skin and bean intact, until the beans reach a certain level of dryness (approximately 20 days). Because natural processing involves more sugar substances in fermentation, the beans develop richer aromas and very gentle wine-like notes.

Roast Profile

For this particular bean, FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-light roast for cooking. This allows the rich aromas to be more fully perceived by us. Now, let FrontStreet Coffee share how this FrontStreet Coffee Panama Diamond Mountain bean should be brewed!

Brewing Guide

In terms of filter cups, FrontStreet Coffee will choose the V60 as the filter cup for preparing this bean. Because the V60's fast flow rate combined with its conical structure allows for less even extraction (compared to other slow-flow filter cups), this can make the overall coffee layers more complex. However, since it's a medium-light roast, we need to pair it with a finer grind to ensure hot water can more easily dissolve the flavor substances in the coffee - an 80% pass-through rate on a #20 sieve, with particles like fine sugar. For water temperature, FrontStreet Coffee will use 92°C-93°C. The coffee-to-water ratio will also be 1:15, which produces coffee with just the right concentration and prominent flavors.

During the blooming stage, FrontStreet Coffee chooses to use 25ml of hot water to complete its 30-second blooming process. Because this FrontStreet Coffee Panama Diamond Mountain uses a medium-light roast, the bean expansion rate is not high, and water absorption is relatively weak. Therefore, too much hot water can easily cause waste, promoting bypass water. During blooming, we can slow down the water flow, pouring from the center outward in circles, allowing hot water to better penetrate all coffee grounds for improved degassing effect.

When the blooming ends, we pour the second segment of hot water. At this point, we need to use a large water flow to raise the coffee bed, allowing subsequent hot water to directly contact the coffee grounds at the bottom. In this stage, we need to pour 130ml of hot water, again from the center outward with a large water flow. Complete pouring by around 1 minute, then wait for the water level to drop before pouring the final segment of hot water. (As long as your pouring technique is correct, you'll quickly see a deep depression in the coffee bed.)

Around 1 minute and 20 seconds, the water flow has mostly completed. Now we use small circular motions with a large water flow to pour. Complete pouring by around 1 minute and 35 seconds. Finally, just wait for the coffee to finish dripping, and we can remove the filter cup and enjoy the deliciousness!

Tasting Notes

This brewed Frontsteet Diamond Mountain will have very rich complexity! The high sweetness of citrus sugar, the texture of honey, and the cocoa finish. The natural fermentation's wine-like notes are not strong but very gentle. Delicious!!!