Panama Coffee Diamond Mountain Estate Coffee Beans Flavor Profile and Taste Characteristics Panama Boquete Geisha

Hacienda La Esmeralda is renowned worldwide, having taken the global coffee scene by storm with its Geisha variety. Today, nearly everyone in the coffee industry knows the fame of both Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda and the Geisha variety. However, many coffee enthusiasts automatically associate Hacienda La Esmeralda exclusively with Geisha, focusing only on the estate name when ordering and overlooking the specifics. This often results in receiving a non-Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda – an amusing yet frustrating experience. Besides the famous Geisha, what other coffees does Hacienda La Esmeralda produce?

Browsing the official website of Hacienda La Esmeralda, the estate categorizes its coffee into two main varieties: Geisha and Catuai. Under the Geisha category, there are further subdivisions: Esmeralda Special, Private Collection, and Geisha 1500, commonly known as Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label.

Today's focus, however, extends beyond Geisha to explore what lies under the Catuai category, which is divided into two brands: Diamond Mountain and Palmyra. The Catuai coffee variety has been cultivated in Panama for many years and is widely beloved for its high yield, disease resistance, and clean, bright cup profile. FrontStreet Coffee has recently imported a batch of Diamond Mountain coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda.

FrontStreet Coffee Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Diamond Mountain

Region: Panama, Boquete
Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
Altitude: 1,400-1,700 meters
Varieties: Catuai, Caturra
Processing: Natural Process

The Diamond Mountain coffee comes from two of Hacienda La Esmeralda's most productive and renowned farms: Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes.

Jaramillo is the long-established flagship farm of Hacienda La Esmeralda, with an average altitude exceeding 1,650 meters. Daytime temperatures average between 19-25°C, while nighttime temperatures range from 11-15°C. This significant diurnal temperature variation allows coffee trees ample time to grow and store nutrients. With an annual rainfall of 4,000mm, these growing conditions enabled the Geisha variety grown here to win the BOP championship in 2004 with its captivating floral aromas, catapulting both the Geisha variety and Hacienda La Esmeralda to international fame.

Cañas Verdes was one of the farms included when the Peterson family initially purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda. Originally used for dairy cattle grazing, it gradually expanded by incorporating small nearby plots to dedicate to coffee cultivation. Today, Cañas encompasses nine small plots, including Lino.

Cañas sits at altitudes above 1,650m, with daytime temperatures averaging 16-23°C and nighttime temperatures between 11-15°C. Annual rainfall reaches 3,500mm, with a distinct dry season lasting three to four months, though the climate remains consistently cool.

Coffee Varieties

This Diamond Mountain coffee consists of the Catuai and Caturra varieties.

Catuai derives from the Guaraní phrase "multo mom," meaning "very good." It comes in both Yellow Catuai and Red Catuai variants. The Catuai variety was developed in 1949 through a hybridization of Yellow Caturra and Mundo Novo, initially designated as H-2077.

Catuai coffee has been cultivated in Panama for many years and is widely appreciated for its high yield, disease resistance, and clean, bright cup profile. Compared to Bourbon varieties, Catuai yields are exceptionally high – partly because the plants are smaller, allowing for tighter spacing between trees. Catuai planting density can be nearly double that of Bourbon.

Processing Method

This Diamond Mountain coffee undergoes natural processing. During the natural processing method, harvested coffee cherries are sent directly to patios for drying. The coffee cherries dry slowly with the beans still inside, allowing the beans to absorb fruit and aromatic notes.

Depending on weather and patio composition, coffee cherries dry on concrete patios for 3-5 days (8 hours daily). Once the cherries reach an appropriate moisture level, they are transferred to a Guardiola dryer for 72 hours of rotation to complete the drying process and prevent fermentation. After drying is complete, the coffee cherries are mechanically processed to remove the fruit pulp and skin.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

Although Caturra may not match Geisha in flavor complexity, thanks to Hacienda La Esmeralda's meticulous management and similar growing altitudes, its quality and cup profile are exceptional. FrontStreet Coffee employs a medium-light roast.

At 165°C, the beans enter the roaster with heat at 130 and airflow at 3. The temperature recovery point is 97.3°C (1'36"). When the roaster temperature reaches 112°C, the airflow is increased to 4 while maintaining the same heat. At 153.2°C, the bean surface turns yellow and grassy aromas disappear completely, marking the entry into the dehydration phase. At 8'30", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, with toast aromas distinctly transitioning to coffee aromas – this can be defined as the prelude to first crack.

When the temperature reaches 184°C, the heat is reduced to 70. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'48", and the airflow is adjusted to 5. Development after first crack lasts 1'20", with beans discharged at 191°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Results

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

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

Brewing Method: Three-stage extraction. Begin with a 30-gram bloom for 30 seconds. Using a small water stream, pour in a circular motion to 125 grams, then pause. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225 grams and stop. Wait for the water level to drop again until it's about to expose the coffee bed, then remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the beginning of the bloom) Total extraction time: 1'55".

Important Notice :

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