Introduction to Panamanian Coffee Bean Flavor and Taste Characteristics - What Grade is Panamanian Geisha Coffee and Why is it So Popular

When it comes to the flavor profile of Panamanian coffee, one immediately thinks of the citrus notes, floral aromas, and rich berry flavors of Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha. Since Geisha became famous in Panama, various estates have started planting Geisha coffee, and even Yunnan, China has begun cultivating Geisha coffee. Although all are Geisha varieties, their flavors still differ. FrontStreet Coffee has mentioned before that coffee is an agricultural product, naturally closely related to the local environment, especially Geisha. Geisha is very particular about its growing environment, requiring both high altitude and shade trees. Panama's climate and environment are perfect for Geisha cultivation, which is why Panamanian Geisha coffee has such exceptional flavors, achieving captivating floral aromas, delicate fruit acidity, and rich, layered taste profiles. This is something that Geisha from estates in other producing countries cannot compare to, although Geisha from other estates also has excellent flavors, just with different characteristics.

Panama is located on the Panamanian Isthmus in Central America, bordering Colombia to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the south, Costa Rica to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the north. The country, shaped like an S, connects North and South America. The Panama Canal runs from north to south, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, earning it the title "World Bridge."

Panamanian Coffee Growing Regions

Panama's coffee growing areas are situated in the western part of the country, including Boquete, Volcán, Santa Clara, and Piedra de Candela. Among these, Boquete and Volcán are the most commonly heard specialty coffee producing regions. Both regions are located in Chiriquí Province, right in the center of the coffee belt, featuring fertile volcanic soil and ancient forests. Panama's terrain is undulating with numerous valleys and ravines. Apart from the coastal plains in the north and south, most of the country consists of mountainous areas. Located near the equator, Panama has a tropical maritime climate with humid days and cool nights, with average annual temperatures ranging from 23 to 27°C. The year is divided into dry and rainy seasons, with annual precipitation averaging 1500-2500 millimeters.

The Origin of Panamanian Geisha

Panamanian Geisha coffee beans were discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia. After discovery, they were sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. After 5 years, in 1936, they were introduced to Uganda and Tanzania, then to Costa Rica in 1953, and finally to Panama in 1970. Initially, Geisha coffee beans didn't receive much attention. For a long time, Geisha coffee trees were only used as windbreaks. It wasn't until they encountered Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama that they became famous and widely known.

Boquete Region

Boquete is a town in Chiriquí Province, located near the border between Panama and Costa Rica, close to the famous Barú Volcano. With its beautiful scenery and rich, fertile soil, the climate and soil are perfect for producing high-quality coffee.

The unique microclimate in Panama's Boquete highlands is a vital resource that makes Boquete's specialty coffee distinctive. Panama's east-to-west environmental pattern causes cold air currents to converge above 6,500 feet through the central mountain range, creating multiple microclimates in the Boquete area. These conditions make the temperature and rainfall ideal for plant growth, allowing coffee trees planted here to thrive exceptionally well. Coupled with year-round mist and abundant rainfall, this creates excellent coffee cultivation conditions, leading many outstanding estates to establish themselves here, such as Hacienda La Esmeralda, Elida Estate, and Duncan Estate.

Hacienda La Esmeralda

When discussing Panama, one must mention Hacienda La Esmeralda. The estate is located on a corner of Barú Volcano, so Panamanian coffee beans from this region were often named after Barú Mountain before becoming famous. The area around Boquete features beautiful scenery with numerous leisure hotels, vacation estates, and even developments along the important Rio Caldera river. In 1964, American banker Rudolph A. Peterson retired, moved to Panama, and purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, initially focusing on dairy operations.

After Price took over, he divided the estate's planting areas into five major brands for sales based on altitude, microclimate, cupping performance, and cultivated varieties. The Geisha variety includes three brands: Esmeralda Special, Private Collection, and Geisha 1500. The Catuai variety includes two brands: Diamond Mountain and Palmyra.

Red Label Geisha

The Geisha produced by Esmeralda Special is what we commonly know as Red Label. It uses Geisha beans grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters, with cupping scores above 90 points, produced from the Jaramillo and Canas Verdes regions. Hacienda La Esmeralda's refined processing methods and strict quality control standards make the slow-dried batches of Red Label Geisha even richer in fruit character, with excellent sweetness and acidity. Of course, the characteristic sweet fruit aroma and jasmine fragrance of Geisha are essential.

Green Label Geisha

Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label, consists of batches not competing in independent auctions but still of excellent Geisha quality. It uses micro-lot mixed beans from different plots including Jaramillo and Canas Verdes, grown at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters. Although the grade of Green Label Geisha coffee beans is not as high as Red Label, it has high clarity with an overall tendency toward jasmine tea flavors and high acidity. Natural-processed Green Label Geisha has good sweetness, with pleasant sweet and sour notes reminiscent of passion fruit and floral tea. Green Label Geisha batches are available in both washed and natural processing.

Blue Label Geisha

The Geisha 1500 brand is what we commonly know as Blue Label Geisha. It uses mixed beans from three different plots: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo, grown at altitudes of 1400-1500 meters. The flavor features subtle floral notes, fruit acidity, and a less full-bodied texture. Blue Label Geisha is only available in washed processing.

However, starting from 2021, Hacienda La Esmeralda adjusted its Geisha coffee grading system. Beginning with the 2021 harvest season, Hacienda La Esmeralda has discontinued the Blue Label (Geisha 1500) batches.

FrontStreet Coffee's Perspective on Washed Geisha

FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed processing, as one of the most traditional methods for processing green beans, not only makes coffee production more stable but also allows Geisha to present higher clarity and fresher flavor characteristics. After roasting, FrontStreet Coffee experiences Geisha's elegant white floral aromas, bright citrus and lemon acidity, with a subtle green tea aftertaste, much like drinking a cup of smooth Tieguanyin tea.

Elida Estate

Elida is a renowned coffee estate in Panama with a century-long history of producing high-quality coffee, located in the famous specialty coffee producing region of Boquete. Last year, a Geisha coffee bean from Elida won the championship in the Geisha Processing category at the BOP competition. FrontStreet Coffee selected Elida Geisha from the same plot and altitude for cupping. Compared with Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee beans, it was found that due to different processing methods, Elida Geisha presents more complex layers than Panamanian Geisha.

Elida Estate has a total area of 65 hectares, with more than half located within Barú Volcano National Park. Only 30 hectares of the estate are used for coffee cultivation, while the remaining land remains pristine forest. Coffee is grown at altitudes ranging from 1670 to 1850 meters, making it one of Panama's highest-altitude coffee estates (another estate with similar altitude is Carmen Estate, located in the Volcán Valley).

In such high-altitude environments, low temperatures delay the ripening of coffee cherries by about a month compared to normal ripening periods. The fertile volcanic soil provides abundant nutrients for the coffee, combined with the excellent microclimate brought by Barú Volcano and the owner's innovative ASD slow anaerobic natural processing method, enabling Elida Estate to consistently achieve outstanding results in cupping competitions.

FrontStreet Coffee's Panamanian Elida coffee flavor profile: fermented aroma, roses, berries, citrus, green tea, cream, nuts.

The Legacy of Geisha

After Geisha became famous, various producing regions began competing to introduce and cultivate it. However, even with the same variety, different terroirs and climates produce coffee with different qualities and flavors. FrontStreet Coffee believes that as the birthplace of Geisha's fame, Panama's mature cultivation techniques and processing methods still guarantee industry acclaim for their Geisha coffee. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee has launched a Boquete region Geisha coffee using washed processing, hoping to let everyone experience the classic Geisha flavor profile.

FrontStreet Coffee's pour-over Panamanian washed Boquete Geisha coffee presents distinct citrus, lemon, and bergamot clarity in acidity, with a creamy smooth mouthfeel when swallowed, finishing with the sweetness of green tea and honey.

For friends who want to experience Geisha coffee flavors, FrontStreet Coffee's Panamanian Flower Butterfly Blend Geisha Coffee is also an excellent choice. Panamanian Flower Butterfly is a Panamanian coffee bean with particularly high value for money, featuring 70% premium Geisha heritage. It consists of three varieties: Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai, grown in the Barú Volcano region of Boquete at an altitude of 1600 meters in volcanic areas. The processing plant uses refined washed processing. Panama's special microclimate in this region results in abundant rainfall and significant day-night temperature differences. Combined with the unique volcanic rock soil of the volcanic region, as well as careful harvesting and refined processing, this coffee performs exceptionally well in body, acidity, and floral aromas.

Why is Panamanian Geisha Coffee So Popular?

Panama's microclimate is exceptionally suitable for growing Geisha coffee, which is why Panamanian Geisha coffee tastes better than Geisha from other producing countries. Drinking Panamanian Geisha coffee doesn't feel like drinking coffee, but rather like sipping a cup of fruit tea. This is because the coffee presents rich, elegant floral aromas, citrus, peaches, and the full acidity of complex fruits, with a creamy smooth mouthfeel and an oolong tea-like sweet aftertaste. The delicate flavor characteristics make it feel less like drinking coffee and more like tasting a fragrant cup of fruit tea.

Although Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee is very famous, Geisha coffee from other estates is also excellent. Of course, you don't necessarily have to drink Geisha coffee - everyone has different taste preferences, and perhaps coffee from other producing regions might be more suitable for you. If you're still unsure, you could consider sampling from FrontStreet Coffee's daily selection beans to find your preferred flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's daily selection beans are representatives from various producing countries, all offering excellent value for money!

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Brewing Parameters

Dripper: Hario V60, Water temperature: 91°C, Coffee amount: 15g, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15, Grind size: Medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate on Chinese standard #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, the three-stage pouring method. First, use 30g of water for blooming, with a blooming time of 30 seconds. For the first stage, pour with a small circular flow to 125g, then stop. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, continue with the second stage pour to 225g to complete extraction. The total extraction time (starting from when water is first poured) is 2'00".

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations

To brew a good cup of coffee, besides the coffee variety, the freshness of the coffee beans is crucial. FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee bean freshness is a vital aspect of brewing. FrontStreet Coffee ships coffee beans roasted within 5 days because we understand that coffee bean freshness greatly affects flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer receives the freshest coffee when their order arrives. The coffee degassing period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind their beans, which is no problem. However, FrontStreet Coffee must remind you: pre-ground coffee doesn't need further degassing because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide buildup in the packaging helps mellow the coffee flavor, so you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the coffee grounds. However, coffee grounds need to be brewed promptly because they oxidize quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee flavor will dissipate faster, diminishing its quality. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better experience the coffee's flavor.

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