Panama Premium Coffee Beans Introduction – Geisha: What Makes Panama Coffee Special?

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When guests visit FrontStreet Coffee and specifically request "Geisha," FrontStreet Coffee lists several Geisha coffees from different regions for selection, because FrontStreet Coffee's bean list includes Geisha beans from three different countries: Panama, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Among these, Panama's Geisha has the highest recognition and is FrontStreet Coffee's most popular Geisha origin. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss the unique characteristics of Panamanian Geisha.

The Rise to Fame of Geisha

Like many origins, Geisha also originates from Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica. In 1931, Geisha was first collected in the wild Kaffa forest of southern Ethiopia, with the purpose of finding new disease-resistant varieties, named after the nearby Geisha Mountain. Later, it was transferred to research institutes in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and other places for trial cultivation. In 1953, Geisha arrived at CATIE, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center in Costa Rica, and was recorded as T2722. Before the 1960s, it was planted as a fungus-resistant variety in many farms. However, due to the plant's brittle branches and low yield, it was not favored by farmers and was not widely cultivated.

Starting in the 1960s, CATIE gave T2722 Geisha to Panamanian coffee farmers, but due to low fruit yield and poor flavor, it was not popular. In the 1990s, the Peterson family began to focus more on coffee production and acquired a new high-altitude farm, Jaramillo. Many coffee trees in the farm suffered from leaf rust disease, but Daniel Peterson noticed that Geisha trees were not severely damaged, so they decided to transplant Geisha, which was originally mixed with other varieties, to more areas of the farm while increasing its planting altitude.

In 2003, the Peterson family finally discovered Geisha's potential. When cupping it for the first time, it displayed a very intense white flower aroma, an extremely clean taste, and presented berry, citrus, and bergamot-like aftertaste, forming a very typical Panamanian Geisha flavor profile. Amazed by this, they decided to enter it in the 2004 BOP (Best of Panama) competition, naming it "Geisha." It broke the auction price record of $21 per pound that year, reached $804 per pound in 2018, and in 2019, it even broke $1,029 per pound.

Since then, Central and South America as well as many origins have competed to introduce and cultivate Geisha varieties, including Colombia, Guatemala, Bolivia... In recent years, small quantities of Geisha beans have also appeared in Yunnan, China.

The Geisha Variety

In addition to the Chinese name "瑰夏" (Geisha), "Geisha" is spelled the same as the Japanese word "芸者" (geisha). Japan directly translates "Geisha" as "芸者" (geisha), and Taiwan also translates it as "芸者" (geisha). Mainland China first translated it as "瑰夏" (Geisha) in 2006, when Mr. Yuan of Jialumeng Coffee first imported Geisha to China.

Unlike other coffee varieties, Geisha coffee trees have very thin leaf systems, meaning photosynthesis efficiency is very low. The roots are also fragile, and water and nutrient absorption are very slow, resulting in very low coffee yields. Additionally, Geisha is very particular about growing conditions, requiring high altitude, fertile soil, cloud cover or plant shade, and cannot be directly exposed to harsh sunlight. The owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda has said that the estate needs many shade trees to shelter the delicate Geisha from the sun, and traditional pruning methods must be used during the initial planting period, otherwise the plants are prone to death. Geisha planted at higher altitudes has longer coffee fruit maturation time and more complex and unique flavor expressions.

FrontStreet Coffee often mentions in many articles that coffee, as an agricultural product, its flavor is always closely related to factors such as variety, climate, altitude, soil, and management. It is a natural and true expression of the variety and local terroir, while post-processing methods and roasting should maximize the preservation, restoration, and presentation of their most authentic flavors. Panama, where Geisha became famous, provides it with uniquely superior growing conditions.

Panama's Unique Terroir

Panama has only three main coffee-producing regions: Boquete, Volcan, and Renacimiento, yet it produces some of the world's most expensive coffee. Coffee cultivation is concentrated in the charming Boquete valley in the western highlands and the Volcan area around Baru Volcano. Both regions are located in Chiriquí Province, right in the center of the coffee belt, with fertile volcanic soil, ancient forests, growing altitudes of 1800 meters (6000 feet), stable microclimates (Panama has over 100 microclimates), and humid ocean air.

The Boquete region is one of the towns in Chiriquí Province, located on a plateau at an altitude of about 1000-2000 meters on the east side of Baru Volcano, facing the warm and humid monsoon from the Caribbean Sea, with the cold Atlantic current behind it. The mountains are high and steep, with "Baru Volcano National Park" being an ecological conservation area with rich biodiversity and seven microclimates. Coupled with year-round mist and abundant rainfall, this creates excellent local growing conditions. FrontStreet Coffee's Panamanian Hacienda La Esmeralda and Elida Estate Geisha coffees come from the Boquete region.

The Volcan region is located around Baru Volcano, where rich nutrients in the volcanic soil, sufficient moisture, and cloud cover nourish the coffee plants, producing high-quality coffee beans with richer and deeper flavors. The geographical environment also gives the coffee more intense dried fruit flavors, sweetness, and aroma compared to the Boquete region.

The Talent Scout for Geisha - Hacienda La Esmeralda

Hacienda La Esmeralda made Geisha famous and is also the first coffee estate to strictly grade Geisha. The Geisha batches produced each year receive industry attention. After Geisha won championship rankings, the Peterson siblings implemented more systematic management of the estate's Geisha coffee trees based on altitude, region, and cupping performance. Broadly, Geisha growing areas are divided into three main plots: Cañas Verdes, Jaramillo, and El Velo. To ensure traceability of each coffee batch, the Petersons refined each large plot into different small plots, allowing buyers of Geisha coffee to access specific planting plot information through batch numbers.

Geisha was first discovered in the Jaramillo plot, and it was here that the Daniel siblings decided to increase Geisha's planting altitude. As the discovery and cultivation site of Geisha, Jaramillo has become Hacienda La Esmeralda's most famous plot. Jaramillo has an average altitude of over 1650 meters, where the cool, damp air on the mountain allows the Geisha coffee here to be full of natural essence and fragrant. Currently, Jaramillo is divided into five small plots: Mario, Noria, Reina, Bosque, and Buenos Aires. Among them, the Mario and Bosque plots have performed excellently in various competitions.

The Cañas plot is relatively far from the other two main plots in the estate. Since the land covered by the plot was gradually purchased by the Peterson family in 1967 and after 2004, the divided sub-plots are relatively small in area. The Cañas plot's planting altitude is all above 1600 meters, including 9 small plots, among which the Montaña and Tumaco plots have the most impressive performance. The Geisha batches produced here have impressive elegant floral and fruit aromas and often appear in the highest-priced categories at Hacienda La Esmeralda's auctions.

What Grade is Red Label Geisha?

We often see three brands of Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha on the market: Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label. These are grades divided by the Peterson family according to the cupping flavors of coffees from specific plots. From highest to lowest, they are: ESMERALDA SPECIAL (Red Label batches, including competition), PRIVATE COLLECTION (Green Label batches), and Las Rocas (formerly Blue Label).

The highest-grade Red Label is harvested from coffee fruits of high-altitude Geisha (1600-1800 meters), with cupping scores exceeding 90 points, mainly from the 2 farms of Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes. Despite facing planting and harvesting challenges at high altitudes, the floral and fruit flavors of Geisha are most prominent in the Boquete region. Hacienda La Esmeralda holds independent auction events, where Red Label batches selected from designated plots for competition are called auction batches. Auction batches have a unique number, and each number corresponds to the entire batch from a specific plot. The one we most often hear about should be the Mario plot from Jaramillo farm. FrontStreet Coffee's Emerald Red Label Geisha coffee beans come from the Mario plot, using natural processing, presenting rich aromas of honey, citrus, roses, cream, complex fruits, and black tea.

Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee also offers a Green Label grade Geisha using washed processing. Before drying the raw beans, the coffee mucilage layer is removed through soaking and fermentation, resulting in higher flavor clarity. The cupping profile shows fresher, more natural lemon, berry, pomelo, and Tieguanyin tea flavors. Selected from micro-batch coffee beans planted at altitudes of 1600-1800 meters from Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and other regions without specific plot designation, it mainly embodies the signature classic flavors of high-altitude Geisha.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that to present the classic "Geisha flavor," more floral aroma and acidity should be preserved. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha coffee beans all use light roasting, with roasting curves adjusted accordingly for different processing methods and flavor differences.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Suggestions for Emerald Red Label Geisha

Lightly roasted coffee beans allow high-altitude coffee beans to retain more floral and fruit aromas. Compared to medium-dark roasts, lightly roasted beans have a more compact internal structure, requiring higher water temperature and finer grinding to better extract the flavor compounds. Here, FrontStreet Coffee uses hot water at 92-93°C for extraction. FrontStreet Coffee uses a #20 standard sieve with 80% pass rate for grind size.

Since each grinding equipment's precision, frequency of use, and maintenance level are different, even with the same machine and setting, you may not get the same grind size. FrontStreet Coffee suggests everyone equip themselves with a sieve. FrontStreet Coffee uses a Chinese #20 standard sieve, which can determine the coffee powder's fineness and help adjust the grinder's setting standards.

FrontStreet Coffee's flavor descriptions for each coffee are based on freshly roasted beans. If coffee beans have been stored for more than a month, some aroma may have been lost, making it difficult to reproduce during brewing. FrontStreet Coffee is well aware of the importance of freshness, so we ensure that only coffee beans roasted within 5 days are shipped, allowing everyone to enjoy the complete flavor period upon receipt.

For filter choice, FrontStreet Coffee believes that Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red Label Geisha should present rich layers of orange aroma and honey sweetness. FrontStreet Coffee's baristas use a resin V60 dripper. The V60 dripper has flow ribs connecting the top and bottom and a large central hole, which accelerates water flow speed. The spiral-shaped exhaust groove design extends the water flow path, increasing contact time between coffee grounds and hot water. Each water flow converges along the grooves to the center point of the dripper, concentrating pressure on the coffee grounds, resulting in richer layered extraction.

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will demonstrate the brewing steps for the store's Emerald Red Label Natural Geisha. Everyone can refer to this and compare it with their own brewing approach.

The pour-over parameters for Red Label Geisha coffee are: Dripper: V60, Water temperature: 91-92°C, Coffee amount: 15g, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:16, Grind size: Fine sugar size (sieve with #20 sieve bowl to 80%)

Three-stage extraction: First, pour 15g of coffee powder into the dripper and zero the weight. In the first stage, inject 30g of water for a 30-second bloom while starting the timer. Use a small water flow to inject from the center point and start circling outward, ensuring the entire coffee bed is moistened.

In the second stage, use a slightly larger water flow to inject 120g of water, aiming to raise the entire coffee bed. The water column needs to be injected vertically and evenly. At this point, the timer scale shows 150g, and injection should be completed in about 55 seconds.

When the liquid level drops to half, start using a small water flow to inject the third stage of 90g in small circles. Try to control the water flow not to circle too widely, as it's easy to disperse the coffee bed and cause under-extraction. Finally, the total injection amount is 240g, and the drip completion time should be around 2 minutes and 10 seconds. After removing the dripper, shake the coffee liquid in the sharing pot evenly and you can start tasting.

The pour-over Emerald Red Label Geisha coffee has elegant rose, citrus, strawberry, and tropical fruit acidity, with a pleasant and lasting black tea finish. The flavor layers change with temperature, and the overall texture is smooth.

Important Notice :

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