What Makes Guarumo Geisha Coffee Beans Stand Out?

Guarumo Coffee Farm, run by the Hartmann family in Panama's Chiriquí Province, won the natural Geisha category at the 26th reliable of Panama competition in 2022. Its Geisha coffee beans come from a four-hectare plot at over 1,750 meters, a small, high-altitude site that helped earn the farm consecutive strong BOP results.

The farm was purchased in 2013 by Ratibor Hartmann, the family's third-generation manager, and sits north of Hartmann Estate in the Santa Clara region. The Hartmann story traces back to ancestor Alois Strasil Hartmann, who left the Austro-Hungarian Empire for New York and then Panama before settling near Volcán. A light roast and pour-over brewing suit this geisha coffee.

The results of the 26th Best of Panama (BOP) green bean competition in 2022 have been announced. The washed Geisha category was won by Aurora Estate, while the champion of the natural Geisha category went to Guarumo Coffee Farm under the Hartmann family. Front Street Coffee had already acquired natural Geisha coffee beans from Guarumo Coffee Farm of the 2022 crop before the competition. This article will take you through the history and origins of this farm, its cultivation philosophy, and the flavor profile and brewing suggestions for this championship-level Geisha. From the Hartmann family's story of European immigration, to Guarumo Coffee Farm's impressive results in the BOP competition for two consecutive years, and then to Front Street Coffee's light roast strategy and pour-over parameters, this one article covers the complete picture of this captivating natural Geisha.

The results of the 2022 Best of Panama (BOP) competition have been officially announced. In the 26th BOP green bean competition, first place in the washed Geisha category was taken by Panama's Aurora Estate, while the champion of the natural Geisha category went to Guarumo Coffee Farm under Panama's Hartmann family. Front Street Coffee had already purchased a batch of natural Geisha coffee beans from Guarumo Coffee Farm of that crop year well before the 2022 BOP event began. Now, please join Front Street Coffee as we discover just what makes the Geisha coffee beans from this farm so captivating.

Guarumo Coffee Farm, also translated as Guarumo Coffee Farm, is located in the Santa Clara region of Chiriquí Province, Panama, to the north of Hartmann Estate. This farm is a new property purchased in 2013 by Ratibor Hartmann, the third-generation manager of the Hartmann family, with a total area of only four hectares. The coffee variety grown on the farm is Geisha, at an elevation of over 1,750 meters.

The Hartmann family's experience of putting down roots in Panama can be described as an epic of immigration spanning Europe and the Americas. The family's ancestor, Alois Strasil Hartmann, was born in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the area of today's Czech Republic. Later, due to domestic political turmoil, he resolved to travel far from home to start a new life. Alois first settled in New York, USA, and then moved on to Panama, but after staying only a few months, he found it difficult to adapt to the urban pace of Panama City.

The spirit of adventure always ran in Alois's blood. Not long after resigning from his job, he traveled along a mountain route to the Volcán region, where he began working and settled down. It was also during this period that he married his first wife, Susana Troetsch, and fathered Hartmann Troetsch, who would later found Hartmann Estate. From 1940 onward, Hartmann Troetsch inherited his father's farmland and set about clearing and organizing the land, thus beginning the history of Hartmann Estate that continues to this day.

The Hartmann family's first-generation ancestor, Alois Strasil Hartmann, initially established coffee-growing areas in Panama's Volcán region. By the time of the second generation, Hartmann Troetsch, the coffee-growing areas were relocated to the Santa Clara region, and Hartmann Estate was formally established during this period.

In the early pioneering stage, Hartmann Troetsch was determined to preserve the vast majority of the farm's original forest. This philosophy of protecting native forest also deeply influenced Ratibor Hartmann, the third-generation owner who now manages the estate. Hartmann Estate still continues this tradition today, with coffee cultivation covering only about 20% of the entire estate. Thanks to the effectiveness of forest conservation, the estate is home to a large number of native birds, and the most well-known local bird, the toucan, naturally became the estate's iconic logo.

In addition to running their own estate, the Hartmann family also provides management services for several nearby estates, such as Ninety Plus's estate in Panama and Finca La Mula, all of which are managed by the Hartmann family.

Although Guarumo is a relatively new estate in the hands of the Hartmann family, this is not its first time winning the BOP competition. In 2020, Guarumo Coffee Farm's natural Geisha won over a group of judges with its captivating flavors of jasmine, rose, champagne, candy, and bergamot.

Because this estate had previously done very little promotion, that year Guarumo Coffee Farm burst onto the scene like a dark horse. And this year, Guarumo Coffee Farm's natural Geisha coffee beans once again demonstrated strong strength, claiming the championship title in the natural Geisha category of the 26th BOP competition.

The natural Geisha coffee beans from Guarumo Coffee Farm that Front Street Coffee purchased this time, although not the competition batch, are likewise from the new 2022 crop. In order to retain as much as possible of the captivating tropical fruit and floral aromas in this natural Geisha coffee, Front Street Coffee chose a light roast.

Through cupping comparison, this natural-process Geisha coffee from Guarumo Coffee Farm presents a dry aroma of mango and strawberry after grinding; when sipped, one can perceive mango, pineapple, white florals, sugar fruit candy, and a malt-fermented sweetness (with a slight beer note). The overall layering is full and rich.

Because this Guarumo natural Geisha coffee is grown at a high altitude, the beans themselves have a relatively high density, and a light roast will not change their density much. Therefore, one can use a medium-fine grind (78% passing through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve) together with a higher water temperature for extraction and brewing.

Front Street Coffee pour-over parameter suggestions: V60 dripper or conical dripper, 15 grams of coffee grounds, coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, grind size referencing fine granulated sugar or medium-fine grind (78% passing through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve), water temperature controlled at 90 to 91 degrees Celsius.

The pouring technique uses a three-stage circular pour: first use 30 grams of water to fully wet the coffee bed so that it forms a "hamburger" shape, and let it bloom for 30 seconds, then proceed to the second stage of brewing; in the second stage, Front Street pours in a steady medium-fine stream in circles up to 125 grams, then pauses, waiting for the water level to drop to two-thirds of the coffee bed before pouring the third stage; in the third stage, continue pouring in a medium-fine stream in circles up to 225 grams, then stop. The total extraction time is about 2 minutes 18 seconds.

Front Street Coffee Guarumo Coffee Farm natural Geisha coffee flavor profile: on entry, a complex juice-like aroma and sweet-tartness of mango and pineapple interwoven; in the mid-palate, white florals and the fermented sweetness of malt emerge; the finish carries a fruit-candy-like sweetness.

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