How Is Panamanian Geisha Coffee Processed at Santos Estate?

Santos Estate's Geisha coffee is processed using the ASD method: anaerobic fermentation followed by low-temperature slow sun drying. The estate sits at 1,100 to 1,400 meters near Volcán Barú in Santa Clara, Panama, where volcanic soil and nighttime lows near 13°C help the beans develop flavors of dark berries, hawthorn acidity, and a black tea finish.

The Lezcano family has farmed this land since 1947, and Mario Lezcano's 2014 purchase of La Mimada brought the estate into specialty production; about 55 hectares now hold 32,000 coffee trees. These sun dried coffee beans are often roasted light and brewed as V60 pour-overs to highlight the fruit and tea-like body.

Santos Café Panamá is located in the Nacimiento area of Santa Clara, Panama. It was purchased by the Lezcano family in 1947 and has been passed down through five generations. In 2014, estate owner Mario Lezcano acquired La Mimada estate and formally entered the specialty coffee field, and its Pacamara "White Stallion" went on to win the Traditional Washed category at the 2021 BOP competition. This article focuses on Santos Estate's Geisha coffee beans, explaining in detail the ASD anaerobic fermentation low-temperature slow sun-dried processing method it uses, and presenting Front Street Coffee's roasting approach, cupping performance, and V60 brewing parameters for this bean, giving you a comprehensive understanding of this Panamanian Geisha that combines dark berries, hawthorn acidity, and a black tea finish.

Santos Café Panamá is located in the Nacimiento area of Santa Clara, Panama. The Lezcano family bought it in 1947, and the estate is now managed by Diego Lezcano, a fifth-generation member of the family.

Since the estate was founded, Santos Estate has always grown coffee, though not on a large scale. It was only seven years ago, after acquiring La Mimada estate, that the estate truly entered the production of specialty lots.

Estate owner Mario Lezcano recognized the excellent growing conditions of La Mimada estate, decisively bought the land in 2014, and assembled a professional team to optimize coffee production. In 2021, the Pacamara "White Stallion" produced by La Mimada estate won the Traditional Washed category at the BOP Best of Panama competition, and Santos Estate thus gradually came into public view.

At present, Santos Estate has three sub-estates under its umbrella: El Bajo, Bartolo, and La Mimada.

The coffee-growing area is about 55 hectares, with 32,000 coffee trees planted. The estate sits at an altitude of roughly 1,100 to 1,400 meters, adjacent to Volcán Barú, whose volcanic soil provides abundant nutrients; daytime sunlight is plentiful, and the trees in the estate provide just the right shade for the coffee trees; after nightfall, temperatures can drop to 13ºC, and the significant day-night temperature difference helps the coffee beans accumulate more nutrients, thereby displaying even better flavor performance.

In addition to Geisha, La Mimada estate also grows varieties such as Pacamara, Caturra, Catuai, and Yellow Bourbon.

ASD Processing Method

Santos Estate's Geisha uses the ASD processing method, namely anaerobic fermentation low-temperature slow sun-dried processing.

The specific operation is as follows: the harvested coffee cherries are placed into sealed containers and fermented for 24 to 72 hours, and the microorganisms and yeasts produced inside the containers add extra layers of flavor to the coffee cherries. The cherries are then spread in thick layers on drying beds for drying. Because local temperatures during the harvest season are relatively high, to prevent uneven drying, the estate arranges for workers to turn them once every two hours; at night they are covered to prevent rain, and the next day they are spread out again to continue drying. The entire drying process lasts about 15 days, until the moisture content of the coffee beans drops to 11%, at which point it is complete. Throughout the entire processing stage, manual sorting of defective beans is carried out continuously, so the finished coffee beans have an extremely low defect rate, and the flavor after brewing is also more excellent.

Geisha coffee processed with ASD has acidity with notes of berries and hawthorn, an aroma with the rich scent of dark berries, and a mouthfeel as round as black tea.

FrontStreet Coffee: Santos Estate Geisha Coffee Beans

Region: Panama, Boquete production area, Santos Estate

Altitude: 1400m

Variety: Geisha

Processing method: ASD anaerobic fermentation low-temperature slow sun-dried

Flavor: hawthorn, dark fruits, fermented notes, black tea finish

In order to preserve the floral and fruity notes of Santos Estate Geisha, Front Street's roaster used a medium-light roast. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee found that the dry aroma of this Geisha has a rich fermented note and dark floral fragrance, with tropical fruits and hawthorn forming a substantial acidity, and a mouthfeel as soft as black tea.

Geisha coffee beans are grown at higher altitudes, and the beans are hard. At a relatively light roast level, the density of the coffee beans changes little, so Front Street chose a higher water temperature and a medium-fine grind for extraction. The parameters are as follows:

Dripper: V60

Water temperature: 90-91ºC

Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: fine granulated sugar coarseness (screening with a No. 20 sieve to 78%)

Use a three-pour extraction: pour the coffee grounds into the V60 dripper, first wet the coffee bed with twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds and let it bloom for 30 seconds; then pour in a small stream in circles from the inside out, pausing at 125g, and when the coffee bed drops to halfway down the dripper, continue pouring the third pour with the same thin stream to 225g. After all the coffee liquid has filtered through, remove the dripper. The total time is about 2 minutes (with a margin of about 10 seconds).

The flavor performance of Front Street's Santos Estate Geisha is dark berries and tropical fruit aromas, with hawthorn and roselle bringing a substantial acidity, honey-like sweetness, a black tea finish, a rich and full mouthfeel, and layered complexity.

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