What makes Panama Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda distinctive?

Panama Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda grew around a Blue Label series that let more drinkers taste Geisha at a lower price. The estate added a natural-process Blue Label in the 2020 harvest, then discontinued the Blue Label grade in 2021. The lots sit in three named plots, Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes and El Velo, each divided into smaller parcels.

Jaramillo receives about 4,000 ml of annual rainfall at 1,600 to 1,700 meters, while Cañas Verdes gets around 3,500 ml at 1,600 to 1,800 meters, with daytime temperatures near 16 to 25°C. Brewing this Geisha coffee at home follows a three-pour method that keeps the delicate florals and citrus intact.

Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha coffee has always been the focus of the specialty coffee world, and its Blue Label series allows more people to experience Geisha flavors at an accessible price. This article outlines the brand background, plot distribution, and grade divisions of Blue Label Geisha, as well as the newly added natural process in 2020 and the replacement products after the Blue Label was discontinued in 2021. At the same time, Front Street Coffee shares the roasting analysis and three-pour brewing steps for Blue Label Geisha to help coffee lovers recreate the classic flavor at home.

To learn more about specialty coffee, welcome to follow Front Street Coffee.

Front Street Blue Label is a Geisha coffee brand launched by Hacienda La Esmeralda, representing high-quality blended Geisha from the estate. Front Street Blue Label Geisha can be called the estate's "accessible" series, allowing consumers to enjoy the flavor of Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha at a modest price.

In the 2020 new harvest season, Hacienda La Esmeralda launched a natural-process Blue Label Geisha version for the first time in its Blue Label lineup. Front Street Coffee, which loves doing research, certainly would not miss it and was among the first to bring in a batch of natural Blue Label for comparison. Of course, in 2021, Hacienda La Esmeralda discontinued the Blue Label grade of Geisha for certain reasons. Before 2020, only the Red Label and Green Label Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda offered natural-process versions, and the newly added natural-process Blue Label version in 2020 was undoubtedly a boon for consumers.

Plot Distribution of Hacienda La Esmeralda Hacienda La Esmeralda divides its Geisha-growing plots with great precision, mainly into three plots: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo. Each plot is further refined into smaller plots.

Jaramillo has an annual rainfall of 4,000 ml, an average daytime temperature of 19-25°C, an average nighttime temperature of 11-15°C, and an average altitude of 1,600-1,700 m. The Jaramillo plot is subdivided into 5 smaller plots: Mario, Noria, Reina, Bosque, and Buenos Aires.

Cañas Verdes has an annual rainfall of 3,500 ml, an average daytime temperature of 16-23°C, an average nighttime temperature of 10-15°C, and an average altitude of 1,600-1,800 m. Cañas Verdes includes a total of 9 smaller plots: Lino, Coronado, Fundador, León, Montaña, Trapiche, Chinta, Cabaña, and Tumaco.

El Velo is the most recently purchased plot of Hacienda La Esmeralda, with an average altitude of 1,700-1,900 m. In addition to growing Geisha and Catuai, this plot also has a small number of other exotic varieties, such as Laurina, Pacamara, Mocha, and SL28. El Velo is divided into 7 smaller plots in total: Guabo, Portón, Durazno, Higo, Buena Vista, and Águila.

Geisha Grades at Hacienda La Esmeralda After years of experimentation, Hacienda La Esmeralda found that only Geisha grown above 1,400 meters in altitude can display its refined flavor as it should. Therefore, Hacienda La Esmeralda divides the Geisha coffee grown on the estate into three grades based primarily on growing altitude, supplemented by actual cupping results.

Esmeralda Special Esmeralda Special is what we commonly call Red Label. Red Label batches of Geisha are grown at an altitude of 1,600-1,800 meters, with cupping scores above 90 points, and mainly come from the two production areas of Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes. Red Label batches are available in either washed or natural process. Red Label batches can only be obtained through global auctions.

Private Collection Private Collection, commonly known as Green Label. Green Label batches do not participate in auctions but are still of excellent quality. Green Label batches of Geisha are grown at an altitude of 1,600-1,800 meters and are mainly blends from different plots such as Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes.

Because of the practice of blending different plots, there are sometimes cases where Green Label and Red Label have a very high flavor similarity. Although Green Label is not as high-grade as Red Label, it still carries the classic flavor of Geisha: floral aroma, fruity notes, citrus acidity, and a thick, juicy mouthfeel. Green Label batches of Geisha are likewise available in washed or natural process.

Geisha1500 Geisha1500 is what is commonly known as Blue Label. Grown at an altitude of 1,400-1,500 meters, Blue Label is a blend of Geisha coffee beans from three different plots: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo.

In previous years, Blue Label Geisha was only washed process, but this year the Blue Label batch added a natural process method, and the coffee introduced by Front Street Coffee is this year's new-harvest natural Blue Label Geisha.

Front Street Geisha Processing Methods

Hacienda La Esmeralda's washed process: the harvested cherries are passed through a depulper to separate most of the pulp from the coffee beans, then the parchment beans are directed into a clean water tank and soaked in water for fermentation to thoroughly remove the remaining mucilage layer. Through water processing, unripe beans and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy, and then pulping is carried out, which means removing the skin of the coffee fruit by machine. The remaining coffee with mucilage is placed in a fermentation tank and left to rest for 1 to 2 days to break down the mucilage attached to the coffee beans.

Then the coffee beans are cleaned with clean water, and the parchment green beans are dried until the moisture content reaches 12% for storage, and the parchment is removed at the time of export.

In Hacienda La Esmeralda's natural process, the harvested coffee cherries are sent directly to the patio to dry. The coffee cherries slowly dry while the coffee beans remain inside, and the coffee beans become full of fruity and aromatic notes. The coffee cherries are dried evenly. Depending on the weather and the composition of the site, the coffee is dried on concrete beds for 3 to 5 days (8 hours per day). When it reaches sufficient dryness, it is placed in a Guardiola dryer and rotated for 72 hours to complete the drying process and prevent fermentation. After drying is completed, a machine is used to remove the pulp and other parts.

The Guardiola is the preferred drying method; as long as the coffee batch size allows, the Guardiola can handle large amounts of coffee. The Guardiola is a horizontally rotating drum that allows warm air to flow around the beans and eliminate moisture. After the coffee beans are dried, they are placed in nylon bags and stored in the warehouse for 30 to 45 days. This step is also called "reposo," which helps stabilize the coffee beans and improve the flavor in the cup. Front Street believes that this refined natural process can control the degree of coffee fermentation very steadily, thereby stabilizing the flavor of each batch and ensuring coffee quality.

Front Street Coffee Roasting Analysis Blue Label Geisha uses a medium-light roast, with the aim of highlighting the floral and fruity aromas and Geisha's unique and pleasant acidity.

Charge at a drum temperature of 180°C, with a power setting of 130 and the damper opened to 3; the turning point is at 1'32". When the drum temperature reaches 104°C, open the damper to 4 while keeping the power unchanged; when the drum temperature reaches 151.6°C, the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, and the dehydration stage begins. At 7'56", the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and dark streaks, and the toast aroma clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, it is necessary to listen clearly for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 8'30", the damper is opened to 5, development after first crack lasts 1'28", and the beans are dropped at 190°C.

Front Street Coffee Brewing Recommendation Coffee dose: 15 g Ratio: 1:15 Grind: fine grind (80% passing through a No. 20 standard sieve) Water temperature: 91°C

Front Street Three-Pour Brewing Method 1. Pour 30 grams of water for the first pour and bloom for 30 seconds.

2. After the bloom ends, pour the second stage of water, pouring 100 grams in a circle from the center outward. This pour can be done slowly. Geisha coffee is very resistant to extraction and needs a certain amount of pouring time to bring out its aroma. After pouring, wait until the water level drops to halfway.

3. When the coffee bed is about to be exposed, pour the third stage of 95 grams of water, for a total poured water amount of 225 grams. Wait for the coffee to finish filtering, then remove the dripper. The total brewing time is about 2 minutes.

Front Street Geisha Coffee Flavor Description [Front Street Red Label] (natural) has bright rose and citrus aromas, brown rice, berries, apricot, complex fruit, honey, a thick juicy mouthfeel, rich flavor layers, and obvious sweetness.

[Front Street Green Label] (washed) has an intense jasmine aroma on entry, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juiciness, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe, overall rich flavor layers, and a lingering finish of floral and citrus notes.

[Front Street Blue Label] (washed) has a soft acidity of lemon and grapefruit on entry; as the temperature drops slightly, there are oolong tea, honey, and sucrose sweet returns, and the mouthfeel is relatively clean and bright. (natural) smells of fermentation aroma and fruity sweetness; on entry there is the sweetness of melon and tropical fruit, with a juice-like mouthfeel, and the overall sweetness is very high.

But unfortunately, by 2021, Hacienda La Esmeralda announced that the 2021 harvest Geisha coffee beans would only have Red Label and Green Label series, with more detailed divisions, and Blue Label was not mentioned. Many people spread rumors that Blue Label had been discontinued this year. Subsequently, Front Street also received clear news that Esmeralda would not release the Blue Label Geisha series in 2021.

So does that mean we can no longer drink affordable yet excellent Panama Geisha coffee? Not necessarily. In October 2021, a Panama Boquete Geisha coffee bean called "Las Rocas" arrived at port. This was a brand-new brand of Geisha coffee with exquisite packaging. You should know that there are not many estates in Panama producing Geisha. After repeated verification by Front Street, it was confirmed that Las Rocas Volcanic Rock Geisha coffee indeed comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda. It precisely filled the production gap left by Blue Label Geisha.

It seems that Blue Label Geisha did not disappear, but merely changed its vest and continued to appear in the consumer market. This batch of coffee beans uses the washed process, and the processor is still Hacienda La Esmeralda. It can be seen that the quality of this batch of beans is still as excellent as Blue Label. Those who are craving Blue Label Geisha coffee beans can look forward to it!!!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.