Why is Panamanian Geisha coffee so scarce?
Panama covers only 75,517 square kilometers, and its quality coffee grows in the western highlands under a tropical maritime climate with 1,500 to 2,500 mm of rain and average temperatures of 23 to 27 degrees Celsius. Panamanian Geisha coffee is scarce because the variety yields little and only certain altitudes and estates suit it.
Boquete is the main production area, home to estates such as La Esmeralda, Elida and Hartmann. Front Street roasts Panamanian geisha with care because the green beans are expensive, developing three to five roasting profiles and selecting a curve by cupping. Each estate's beans carry their own distinct flavor profile.
Although Panama is a small country, it is renowned worldwide for its specialty coffee, especially the Geisha variety, which is scarce in quantity but exquisite in quality, attracting coffee lovers globally. In this article, Front Street Coffee will take you into Boquete, a major production region in Panama, to learn about the local climate, cultivation methods, and the unique features of famous estates such as La Esmeralda, Elida, and Hartmann. We will not only explore the reasons behind the scarcity of Geisha production but also share Front Street's roasting and brewing experience, as well as the flavor profiles of representative beans from each estate, unveiling the secrets behind the exceptional quality of Panamanian coffee.
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Panamanian Geisha coffee is renowned worldwide for its scarce production and exceptional quality. Front Street has a particular fondness for roasting Panamanian Geisha because its outstanding quality makes the roasting process much easier; on the other hand, Geisha green beans are expensive, so Front Street is especially cautious during operation. Fortunately, Front Street's roasters are highly experienced and typically develop three to five roasting profiles based on the bean's characteristics, then select the best roasting curve through cupping to present to customers. Many customers who have tasted Geisha at Front Street praise its flavor and are curious about why Panamanian Geisha green beans can be so excellent. In this article, Front Street Coffee will address this most concerned question and take you into this famous coffee country in Central America.
Panamanian Coffee Regions
Panama is located in the central part of the American continent, a small country with an area of 75,517 square kilometers. Its terrain is shaped like an "S," connecting North and South America, bordered by Colombia to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the south, Costa Rica to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the north. High-quality coffee is mostly grown in the western part of the country.
In terms of climate, Panama is close to the equator and has a tropical maritime climate, humid during the day and cool at night, with an average annual temperature of 23-27°C. The year is divided into dry and rainy seasons, with an average annual rainfall of 1,500-2,500 mm. The coffee produced in the Boquete area of Chiriqui Province is the most famous, and places like Volcan, Santa Clara, and Candela are also well-known. Other production areas include David, Remacimeinto, Bugaba, and Tole. Only coffee grown at altitudes between 1,300 and 1,500 meters is considered special coffee.
Plantations in the Boquete region of Panama mainly follow three models: sun-grown plantations, fully shaded plantations, and semi-shaded plantations. Those with more than 50 trees per hectare are fully shaded plantations; those with 25-50 trees are semi-shaded plantations; those with fewer than 25 trees are called sun-grown plantations. So, under the same growing conditions, how does shading versus no shading affect coffee?
Shaded plantations can delay the ripening of coffee cherries, allowing them to accumulate more flavor compounds. Therefore, shading itself increases costs and reduces yield, but the coffee flavor is superior to semi-shaded plantations under the same conditions. Currently, most plantations in Colombia use a model where coffee trees are intercropped with banana trees, because Arabica trees are gradually becoming shorter, and banana trees can provide shade as they grow taller.
Most coffee beans from Panamanian estates are hand-selected specialty Arabica beans. Each batch of beans is traceable, allowing you to find out which estate, which plot, or which cooperative or farmer they come from, pursuing a sense of place. Only by visiting the coffee origin and walking into the estates can you understand whether that touch of coffee heritage, enchanting flavor, and varied aroma originates from the microclimate, variety, processing method, or the coffee farmer's secret recipe.
La Esmeralda Estate
Panama's La Esmeralda Estate is located at the foot of the Baru Volcano, so before its coffee beans became famous, they were often named after Baru Mountain. The area around Boquete is picturesque, with many leisure hotels and resort estates, even built along the important Rio Caldera river. La Esmeralda Estate is located in Jaramillo on the right side of the river, and later coffee was also planted in the higher-altitude Canas Verdes area on the left side of the river. This is all thanks to Rudolph Peterson's decision to buy this property back then.
When mentioning La Esmeralda Estate, one cannot fail to mention the "Red Label," "Green Label," and "Blue Label" grades of Geisha coffee beans. Although La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee has low production, its quality is hailed as "the world's best." After winning the BOP in 2004, it became a star estate. La Esmeralda's four well-known coffee brands include: Esmeralda Special, Geisha, Diamond Mountain grows, and Palmyra.
Front Street Coffee La Esmeralda Estate Geisha Red Label
Region: Boquete, Panama
Estate: La Esmeralda, Mario Plot
Altitude: 1700+m
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Natural
Red Label Geisha, also known as Esmeralda Special, is the top-tier product of La Esmeralda Estate. It is selected from Geisha beans grown at altitudes of 1,600-1,800 meters, with cupping scores above 90, from the Jaramillo and Canas Verdes production areas. Only the Geisha lots put up for bidding in La Esmeralda's own independent auction, selected from designated plots, are truly auction Red Label. Nowadays, there is also non-auction Red Label on the market, which is actually Geisha selected from the same plots that did not participate in the auction and then circulated to the market. The variety and quality are consistent, only the price differs.
Front Street Coffee Brewing Recommendations
Dripper: Hario V60
Water temperature: 90°C
Dose: 15 grams
Ratio: 1:15
Grind: Medium-fine (75% passing a No. 20 standard sieve)
Front Street Coffee Brewing Method
Staged Extraction
Use 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. Pour in a slow circular stream until the scale reads 125 grams, then pause. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (Start timing from the beginning of the bloom.) Total extraction time: 2'00".
Flavor Description
Bright rose and citrus aromas, along with notes of brown rice, berries, apricot, mixed fruits, and honey. Full-bodied juice-like mouthfeel, rich flavor layers, and pronounced sweetness.
Elida Estate
The estate's history dates back to 1918. This farm is the property of the Lamastus family, and the farm name Elida comes from the name of the wife of the then farm owner, Robert Louis Lamastus. Elida Estate is located in the Boquete production area, at almost the highest altitude in Panama, and nearly half of its area is within a national protected park, making it a rare ultra-high-altitude estate in Central America! Elida Estate covers a total area of 65 hectares, of which more than half is within the Baru Volcano National Park. 30 hectares are planted with coffee trees, and the remaining 35 hectares are virgin forest. Coffee is grown at altitudes from 1,670 to 1,850 meters, making it one of the two highest coffee estates in Panama (the other estate with such an altitude should be Carmen Estate in the Volcan Valley).
The rugged Baru is a young volcano, over 3,400 meters above sea level, and is an active volcano. Due to the large temperature difference between day and night, coffee planted at Elida Estate requires 5 years of care before its first harvest, a very long waiting period (typically only 3 years in other production areas). Although the plants grow slowly, it greatly helps the development of coffee flavor. After entering the harvest period, due to temperature, the coffee ripening period often exceeds one month. If hurricanes, heavy rain, or other force majeure occur just before ripening, even knowing it will cause significant losses, because the beans have not reached the estate's harvest standards, under the insistence on quality, they refuse to harvest early, resulting in a sharp reduction in yield! The risk is actually much greater than at low-altitude estates.
Elida Estate mainly grows three varieties: Catuai, Typica, and Geisha. The estate's processing plant is located halfway up the mountain, so after picking, the coffee can be transported to the factory immediately for processing, ensuring the quality of the coffee cherries is not affected. Of course, Elida's environment is also suitable for growing other high-quality temperate crops, especially tree tomatoes and some uncommon high-altitude fruits. Interestingly, the flavors of these fruits can often be found in Elida's coffee.
In addition to the unique ultra-high altitude and microclimate, the estate owner Mr. Wilford also puts great effort into harvesting and processing. To achieve the highest standards, Elida Estate only allows hand-picking of the ripest coffee cherries (Ripe on Pinton). The high degree of ripeness means the pectin naturally has high sugar content, which is also the foundation for Elida's high-quality flavor.
Front Street Coffee Elida Estate Typica
Region: Boquete, Panama
Estate: Elida Estate
Altitude: 1850 meters
Variety: Typica
Processing: Natural
In addition to being extremely strict with coffee cultivation and processing, estate owner Mr. Wilford is also more rigorous than his peers in the "purification" of green beans after processing. Taking Panama Elida as an example, after processing, the green beans need to undergo low-temperature resting for over 5 months to remove greenness, which allows the coffee flavor to develop more balanced and full. (Low-temperature resting is a green bean purification concept promoted by coffee master George Howell starting in 2006. We found that green beans from subtropical regions indeed need low-temperature storage, but different processing methods and altitudes will change the low-temperature resting time. For Panama Elida, 5 months of low-temperature resting is optimal.)
Cupping expert Ken Davids scored Elida Estate's coffee 93 points in 2012! Elida is also a frequent choice on the bean lists of contestants from various countries in the World Barista Championship (WBC). In the finals of Taiwan's TBC (Taiwan Barista Championship) and China's CBC (China Barista Championship), contestants are often seen using single-origin Elida for SOE espresso.
Front Street Coffee Brewing Recommendations
Dripper: Hario V60
Water temperature: 91°C
Dose: 15 grams
Ratio: 1:15
Grind: Medium-fine (80% passing a No. 20 standard sieve)
Front Street Coffee Brewing Method
Staged Extraction
Use 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. Pour in a slow circular stream until the scale reads 125 grams, then pause. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (Start timing from the beginning of the bloom.) Total extraction time: 2'00".
Flavor Description
On the palate, distinct flavors of peach, raisins, and orange are immediately noticeable. Gradually, sweetness of sugarcane and melon emerges, with finish notes of grapefruit and green tea.
Hartmann Estate
Currently, Hartmann Estate is continuously operated by the third generation of the family. Mr. Ratibor Hartmann and his four siblings each take on different roles at the estate. They live together at the estate and make a living by growing coffee.
The Hartmann family also manages and processes coffee for many estates in Panama, such as the perennial winner of Best of Panama, Finca La Mula, and 90+'s estate in Panama, both under the Hartmann family's management. Although the estate is very low-key and rarely seen at Best of Panama, their coffee is among the finest in Panama. The Hartmann family has made indelible contributions to Panama coffee's fame today.
Catuai is a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra, with good resistance to natural disasters, especially wind and rain. It inherits the advantage of Caturra's short stature, correcting Mundo Novo's shortcomings; another advantage is that the fruit is firmly attached and not easily shaken off by strong winds, compensating for Arabica's fragile fruit. However, its overall flavor expression is more monotonous than Caturra, and also more monotonous and lacking in body than Mundo Novo, which is its biggest regret.
Front Street Coffee Hartmann Estate Red Wine Process
Region: Volcan, Panama
Estate: Hartmann Estate
Altitude: 1250-1700m
Variety: Catuai
Processing: Red Wine Process
First of all, the red wine process does not mean soaking coffee in red wine or fermenting it in red wine barrels. The red wine process draws on winemaking techniques, placing whole bunches of uncrushed grapes with stems into a tank filled with carbon dioxide (an oxygen-free environment). The grape berries rupture, releasing juice, separating the juice from the skins, and then yeast is added for fermentation. This process can use neutral grape varieties to obtain aromatic wines, producing a softer wine rich in fruity aromas, with distinct notes of cherry liqueur, banana, bubblegum, and cinnamon. Therefore, the red wine process is also called carbonic maceration.
In red wine process fermentation, coffee cherries are first placed in an airtight container with a one-way exhaust valve, which is very similar to the anaerobic method. Because the coffee cherry skins remain intact, fermentation may take several days or weeks. Different pressures in the tank produce different sugars and pectins for microorganisms to decompose. The red wine process can control pH, and even temperature and humidity, to ensure coffee bean quality, while the sealed fermentation makes aromatic compounds less likely to volatilize.
Front Street Coffee Brewing Sharing
To highlight Hartmann's red wine process beans, Front Street Coffee conducted cupping and then found a more suitable brewing recipe.
First, choose the Hario resin V60 dripper. The V60, as a traditional pour-over dripper, can brew very good flavors, and the resin material has little effect on water temperature. Use a 1:16 ratio. A larger ratio makes the coffee flavors more easily released. As the saying goes, a faint floral fragrance is more attractive than a strong one.
The grind is slightly coarser than normal pour-over, using 70% passing a No. 20 standard sieve. A coarser grind can prevent the coffee grounds from clogging the drain hole in the later stages, avoiding over-extraction.
Use a water temperature of 93°C. Higher water temperature makes it easier to extract flavor compounds.
Brewing Steps
First, add 15g of coffee grounds, then pour 40g of water for a 30-second bloom. Pouring more than twice the amount of water for the bloom can make the acidity of the entire cup brighter.
For the second pour, add 140g of water. The circular pouring motion should be elegant (slow), with the water stream height at about 5cm. This pour raises the coffee water level to half of the short ribs.
When the water level drops to the bottom of the short ribs, continue pouring 60g, then stop. The time is about 1 minute 32 seconds. After all the coffee liquid in the dripper has flowed into the server, remove the dripper to end the extraction. Total time: 2 minutes.
Flavor Description
This brewing method smells of red wine fermentation aromas. On the palate, there is acidity of citrus and kiwi, very bright acidity. The mid-palate has the sweetness of brown sugar, accompanied by the acidity and aroma of wine.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
