What Does Panama Gesha Coffee Taste Like in the Cup?
Hacienda La Esmeralda's Blue Label is a washed Panama Gesha fermented with Cima yeast, grown at Cañas Verdes in Boquete at about 5,495 feet. The cup shows lavender, pomegranate and ginger candy, with blackberry and hibiscus aromas, lemon curd acidity and a silky body.
After depulping, the seeds are inoculated with Cima yeast and fermented for 45 hours, then rinsed and dried on beds for five days. The yeast is chosen to lift brightness, citrus notes and mouthfeel. In 2004 the Peterson family separated the farm by plot, which isolated the Geisha profile and set a template many farms now follow.
Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha has always been the benchmark in the specialty coffee world, and this Blue Label washed Geisha stands out even more thanks to its Cima yeast fermentation. This article will walk you through everything about this bean: from its flavor layers of lavender, pomegranate, and ginger candy, to the growing conditions at Cañas Verdes farm and the experimental spirit of the Peterson family. We'll also discuss whether it's good as a pour-over, and include Front Street Coffee's recommendations and brewing suggestions. Whether you're a Geisha enthusiast or interested in pour-over parameters, this article offers valuable reference.
Hacienda La Esmeralda / Leon Gesha Washed
BLUE LABEL
Lavender, Pomegranate, Candied Ginger
This washed Geisha is fermented with Cima yeast, and in the cup it displays a sweet fruit profile with distinct layers of floral notes. Aromas of blackberry and hibiscus interweave with hints of pomegranate, ginger candy, and lavender. Lemon curd-like acidity and a silky mouthfeel leave a finish with a cool eucalyptus note.
Details
Producer: Hacienda La Esmeralda
Farm: Cañas Verdes
Region: Boquete, Panama
Altitude: 5495 feet
Variety: Geisha
Process: Cima yeast fermented washed
Roast level: Light roast
Flavor notes: Lavender, pomegranate, ginger candy
The Story Behind It
In 2004, the Peterson family at Hacienda La Esmeralda decided to divide the farm by plot location and treat each separately throughout the entire processing. Through this approach, they successfully isolated the cup profile of the Geisha variety, experiencing its juicy acidity and multi-layered aromatics. This is common practice today, but back then this decision to separate by plot was quite forward-thinking and experimental.
It was this experimental spirit that led the Peterson family to try fermentation with Scott Laboratories' Lalcafe yeasts. One of these, called Cima, is known for enhancing brightness, citrus flavors, and mouthfeel. After the coffee cherries are depulped, the seeds are placed in fermentation tanks, inoculated with Cima yeast, fermented for 45 hours, then rinsed clean and moved to the drying beds for 5 days.
Direct Trade
Producer Hacienda La Esmeralda states:
"At Esmeralda, we hand-pick the ripest, reddest cherries. Our meticulous design ensures an elegant and complex cup of coffee with aromas of jasmine, stone fruit, and bergamot. This is an extraordinary Esmeralda Geisha, grown in the volcanic soil of Boquete, scattered among the mists of the Pacific and Atlantic.
Cañas Verdes has a three-to-four-month dry season, but even so, the air is cool. Half of Cañas Verdes' land was part of the original purchase by Peterson Holding Company in 1967, which initially used the land as a cattle ranch and later for dairy cows. Coffee was once grown in this area, and only a few families lived in this hard-to-reach region. After 2004, the Peterson family began purchasing small parcels of land around the original Cañas Verdes farm."
Hacienda La Esmeralda's industry-leading practices in environmental sustainability, along with its support for employees and their families, make us proud to have partnered with the Peterson family for many years. Learn more about their sustainability efforts on their website.
Front Street Coffee Recommendations
Front Street Coffee suggests using this Blue Label Geisha for pour-over to fully showcase its floral and fruity notes. Recommended ratio 1:15, water temperature 90-92°C, medium-fine grind, three-pour method. Front Street Coffee's roaster says that at a light roast level, this bean's lavender and pomegranate flavors are particularly prominent, and the eucalyptus note in the finish is also impressive. If you enjoy bright acidity and complex layers, this bean is worth trying.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
