Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Coffee Beans: Varieties, Processing Methods, Flavor Characteristics, and Origin

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When it comes to Panama coffee, coffee enthusiasts are certainly no strangers to Geisha coffee beans from Hacienda La Esmeralda. However, the Catuai and Catimor varieties from Hacienda La Esmeralda are probably less heard of. Does this mean these two varieties are of inferior quality? Of course not. According to FrontStreet Coffee, Hacienda La Esmeralda has also established these two varieties as two separate brands: Diamond Mountain and Palmyra. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will explain what Diamond Mountain brand coffee beans from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda are all about.

FrontStreet Coffee Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Diamond Mountain Coffee Beans

Country: Panama

Region: Boquete, Hacienda La Esmeralda

Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda

Altitude: 1400-1700m

Variety: Catuai, Catimor

Processing: Natural Process

Flavor: Citrus, bright acidity, nuts, honey, fermentation notes, cocoa

Hacienda La Esmeralda Panama

Coffee enthusiasts are well aware that Hacienda La Esmeralda is famous for producing high-quality Geisha coffee, and they are also promoters of Geisha coffee. The history of Hacienda La Esmeralda began in 1964 when American banker Rudolph Peterson retired, moved to Panama, and purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, initially focusing on dairy farming. Later, his son Price resigned from his medical practice to help his father manage the farm, introducing Catimor and Catuai coffee varieties in 1987. In 1994, they established a washing processing plant, giving them their own coffee processing facility.

The discovery of Geisha coffee was purely accidental. Because Geisha coffee trees had low yields and poor economic benefits at the time, the previous estate owner used them as windbreak trees to block strong winds and protect other high-yield Catimor and Catuai coffee areas.

It was against this backdrop that coffee pickers also harvested Geisha coffee cherries. During cupping, the estate owners discovered this coffee bean was exceptionally special, with rich citrus and floral aromas. They found the Geisha coffee trees and began to value them. In 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda separately entered Geisha in competitions, where it gained fame at the BOP competition, establishing Hacienda La Esmeralda's position in the specialty coffee industry.

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, Hacienda La Esmeralda originally planted Catimor and Catuai varieties, and these two varieties are also predominantly grown in Panama. Therefore, to understand the most original coffee flavor characteristics of Panama's coffee growing regions, one must start with these two varieties. After all, the flavor of Geisha variety coffee beans still leans toward their place of origin, Africa.

Panama Coffee Bean Growing Conditions

FrontStreet Coffee often says that the flavor of coffee beans depends on their growing environment and region, coffee variety, and processing method. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will explain Diamond Mountain coffee beans from Hacienda La Esmeralda based on these three factors.

Panama's terrain is characterized by rolling hills and intersecting valleys, with mostly mountainous areas except for the coastal plains in the north and south. Located near the equator, it has a tropical maritime climate with humid days and cool nights, with average annual temperatures ranging from 23-27°C. The year is divided into dry and rainy seasons, with annual precipitation averaging 1500-2500mm.

Frontsteet Panama coffee beans are known for their smooth texture and balanced acidity, with high-quality beans featuring pure and distinctive flavors. The first batch of exported coffee ships in November each year.

High-quality Frontsteet Panama coffee beans are mainly grown in northwestern Panama, near Costa Rica and close to the Pacific. Among these, coffee produced in the Boquete region of Chiriquí Province is the most famous.

Frontsteet Panama Boquete Coffee Growing Region

According to FrontStreet Coffee, the Boquete region has growing altitudes ranging from 1400-1900m. This area is located near the border between Panama and Costa Rica, close to the famous Baru Volcano, featuring beautiful scenery, rich and fertile soil, and climate and soil conditions perfectly suited for producing high-quality coffee.

Within the Boquete region, there are many excellent estates. Besides Hacienda La Esmeralda, Elida Estate and Kotowa Duncan Estate also produce high-quality specialty coffee.

This is not only due to the mild climate conditions of Boquete, Panama and the fertile volcanic ash soil of the Baru Volcano area. Another important factor is the varied microclimates found in the highlands of Boquete, Panama.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Parcel Division

Coffee beans grown within Hacienda La Esmeralda are also divided by region. The estate strictly divides its growing areas into five major brands based on altitude, microclimate, cupping performance, and planted varieties. The Geisha variety has three brands: Esmeralda Special (Red Label), Private Collection (Green Label), and Geisha 1500 (Blue Label). The Catimor and Catuai varieties have two brands: Diamond Mountain and Palmyra.

According to FrontStreet Coffee, Hacienda La Esmeralda mainly has three parcels: Jaramillo, Canas Verdes, and El Velo. Each parcel is further subdivided into smaller plots.

Jaramillo:

Annual rainfall is 4000ml, with average daytime temperatures ranging from 19-25°C and nighttime temperatures from 11-15°C, at an average altitude of 1600-1700m. The Jaramillo parcel is subdivided into 5 small plots: Mario, Noria, Reina, Bosque, and Buenos Aires.

Canas Verdes:

Annual rainfall is 3500ml, with average daytime temperatures ranging from 16-23°C and nighttime temperatures from 10-15°C, at an average altitude of 1600-1800m. Canas Verdes includes 9 small plots: Lino, Coronado, Fundador, León, Montaña, Trapiche, Chinta, Cabaña, and Tumaco.

El Velo:

This parcel is the newest acquisition by Hacienda La Esmeralda, with an average altitude of 1700-1900m. In addition to growing Geisha and Catuai, this parcel also has small amounts of other exotic varieties such as Laurina, Pacamara, Mocha, and SL28. El Velo is divided into 7 small plots: Guabo, Portón, Durazno, Higuerón, Higo, Buena Vista, and Águila.

FrontStreet Coffee Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Series Coffee Beans

The Catimor and Catuai varieties of Frontsteet's Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain series are grown in the Canas Verdes and Jaramillo regions, with coffee cultivation distributed at altitudes of 1400-1700 meters. According to Frontsteet, Diamond Mountain brand coffee holds Rainforest Alliance certification, which represents excellent environmental conditions. This certification is not easily obtained - for example, Frontsteet Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee comes from Jamaica's only Rainforest Alliance certified Wallenford Estate.

What Does Rainforest Alliance Certification Represent?

1. Less water pollution
2. Less soil erosion
3. Reduced impact on environment and human health
4. Protection of wildlife habitats
5. Less waste
6. Less water usage
7. Highly effective farm management systems
8. Protection of agricultural workers' rights and welfare
9. Protection of agricultural workers' income and competitiveness
10. Increased cooperation between agricultural workers and environmentalists

The image shows the Rainforest Alliance certification logo

According to FrontStreet Coffee, estates must have over 100 crop varieties to be Rainforest Alliance certified, and these crops are certified according to the environmental and social standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network.

Diamond Mountain Coffee Bean Varieties - Catimor, Catuai

According to FrontStreet Coffee, Catimor and Catuai varieties are currently widely planted in Latin American growing regions because their disease and pest resistance is superior to Typica. They are also widely grown in Panama's coffee regions. Catimor is a Bourbon variety discovered in Brazil in 1937, with better yield and disease resistance than Bourbon. The plants are shorter, making harvesting convenient, with strong adaptability and no need for shade trees. It's suitable for cultivation from 700 meters low altitude to 1700 meters high altitude, with strong altitude adaptability, though higher altitudes produce better flavors with relatively reduced yields.

The Catuai variety was developed in 1949 as a hybrid cross between Yellow Catuai (Arabica subspecies) and Mundo Novo (Robusta subspecies), initially named "H-2077". Catuai has good disaster resistance, particularly against wind and rain. Due to its smaller plant size, it can be planted at double density, and the relatively short plants make pest and disease treatment easier. Catuai grows vigorously and has low height but is susceptible to leaf rust.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Coffee Bean Processing Method

The Diamond Mountain beans that FrontStreet Coffee acquired use the natural processing method. Therefore, this coffee bean also exhibits strong aromas and fermentation notes in its flavor profile.

During natural processing, harvested coffee cherries are sent directly to patios to dry. The coffee cherries gradually dry while the coffee beans remain inside, filling with fruity and aromatic notes. Depending on weather and patio composition, coffee cherries are dried on concrete patios for 3 to 5 days (8 hours per day).

When the coffee cherries are dried to a certain degree, they are placed in a Guardiola dryer for 72 hours to complete the drying process and prevent fermentation. After drying is complete, the coffee cherries are mechanically processed to remove the skin and pulp. FrontStreet Coffee believes that natural processing can add sweetness and mature red berry flavors to coffee beans.

The above is the information about Frontsteet Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain coffee beans compiled by FrontStreet Coffee, hoping to help coffee enthusiasts better understand Hacienda La Esmeralda. Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee conducts extensive brewing and parameter testing before launching any new bean. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share the most suitable brewing parameters for this Frontsteet Panama coffee bean with coffee enthusiasts.

FrontStreet Coffee Green Bean Analysis

By observing the natural processed green beans of Frontsteet Diamond Mountain, FrontStreet Coffee found that the green beans have a yellowish color, and natural processed beans have more silver skin on the surface. Catimor green beans have a curved tail end, are round and slender, while Catuai beans are flat with a relatively slender tail end.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Records

Frontsteet's roaster used a Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster with 480g batch size. The machine was preheated to 165°C before loading, with heat adjusted to 130 and damper opened to 3. The turning point was at 1'36", maintaining heat; at 112°C, heat remained unchanged, damper opened to 4. At 127°C, heat increased to 140°C. At 6'15", the beans turned yellow, grassy aroma disappeared, entering the dehydration stage. At 151°C, heat was reduced to 110, damper remained at 4.

At 9'00", dehydration was complete, with wrinkles and dark spots appearing on the bean surface. Toast aroma transitioned to coffee aroma, signaling the prelude to first crack. At this point, pay attention to the sound of first crack. At 10'48", first crack began, damper fully opened to 5. First crack development time was 1'20", dropping at 191°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee conducts cupping within 8-24 hours after roasting sample coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee's baristas typically use 200ml ceramic cups for cupping. Cupping water temperature is 94°C. Grind size is controlled to pass through a #20 standard sieve (0.85mm) at 70%-75% rate. Ratio: 11.1g coffee powder to 200ml hot water, or 1:18.18, which extracts a concentration precisely within the 1.15%-1.35% Gold Cup range, with a 4-minute steeping time.

Dry Aroma: Citrus, berries
Wet Aroma: Citrus
Flavor: Citrus, honey, cocoa, fermented wine notes

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Experience

Dripper: V60 #01
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (Chinese standard #20 sieve pass rate 80%)

Frontsteet Brewing Method: Three-stage extraction

Use 30g water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring with a small circular motion to 125g for the first stage. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops again and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from bloom) Total extraction time is 2'00".

[Frontsteet Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain] Brewing Flavor: Citrus, bright acidity, nuts, honey, light fermentation notes, smooth texture, cocoa aftertaste.

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