Panama - Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain

Panama La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain

Introduction to Coffee Cultivation at Hacienda La Esmeralda

Hacienda La Esmeralda is located in the suburbs of Boquete in southwestern Panama. When it was first established, it was a comprehensive farm where coffee cultivation was only part of the overall economic output; other operations included dairy farming and citrus growing. What particularly draws attention to Hacienda La Esmeralda is that at the end of the 20th century, the farm owner—the Peterson family—stumbled upon a coffee variety with tremendous potential: Geisha. After careful cultivation and planting, starting in 2004, this variety won a string of championships in coffee competitions for several consecutive years, cementing Hacienda La Esmeralda's unchallenged reign in the global coffee market.

2002 was a turning point for Hacienda La Esmeralda, thanks to Mr. Peterson's youngest son, Daniel Peterson, who believed that the coffee grown across the entire estate (divided into two major areas—the original Hacienda La Esmeralda southwest of Boquete and the Jaramillo farm incorporated in 1996) had always been harvested and sold as a blend. Although the overall quality was rated well, that exceptionally elegant citrus fruitiness and sweetness likely came from certain outstanding coffee beans on the farm. So he began cupping and evaluating each cultivation area one by one, and ultimately discovered in several higher-altitude valleys within the Jaramillo area that the coffee harvested from these tall, thin trees with low yields had superb cup quality. After some inquiry, he learned that these varieties, which thrive at high altitudes and low temperatures, were the later-famous Geisha~

In 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda entered these special coffees in the Best of Panama (BOP) cupping competition. Geisha's unique aroma and saturated mouthfeel astonished the judges, earning it the title of "Best of Panama" champion, and at that year's auction it set a historic record of USD $21 dollars a pound! This competition brought Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha coffee enormous attention from the specialty coffee world! It went on to win the BOP crown in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010~

Other award records of Hacienda La Esmeralda:

Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Cupping Champion (2007, 2006, 2005)

Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Coffee of the Year, Second Place (2009, 2008)

Best of Panama Champion (2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004)

Rainforest Alliance Coffee Quality Cupping Competition Champion (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004)

Today, Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda is the most award-winning coffee estate in the world~

The Relationship Between Hacienda La Esmeralda and Diamond Mountain

From consecutive championships starting in 2004 to independent bidding auctions beginning in 2008, Hacienda La Esmeralda set countless record-breaking prices, and the concepts of "Red Label" and "Green Label" have long been deeply ingrained. In recent years, beyond showcasing its finest products, the estate has also introduced some approachable offerings—one of which is the Diamond Mountain series brought in by Front Street Coffee.

The Front Street Diamond Mountain series is grown in the Boquete production area to the right of Barú Volcano, on the outskirts of the Canas Verdes and Jaramillo areas at an altitude of approximately 1400-1600M. The coffee planted in this region consists mainly of Typica, Bourbon, and Catuai. The volcanic soil here is an ideal location for growing coffee, and the primary forest provides sufficient shade for the coffee trees. These exceptional conditions give the green beans a rich and complex fruity aroma, with notes of chocolate and fresh spices.

In addition to producing high-quality green coffee beans, Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain continuously pursues and practices sustainable operations. The entire estate holds Rainforest Alliance certification, ensuring that bird and wildlife habitats are not damaged by human activity. During green bean processing, wastewater is recycled and reused, ensuring clean and safe water sources, forming a self-sufficient coffee estate ecosystem.

A Well-Known Hacienda La Esmeralda Product——Diamond Mountain

Geographical Environment: Diamond Mountain is another star brand under Hacienda La Esmeralda, consisting mainly of the Catuai variety. This green coffee is harvested from Jaramillo and Canas Verdes, two of the four independent farms under Hacienda La Esmeralda. The volcanic soil of these two independent farms provides ideal conditions for growing coffee, and the primary forest offers sufficient shade for the coffee trees. Thanks to these exceptional conditions, the green beans produced have a rich fruity aroma and sweetness, making it a highly popular independent brand for Hacienda La Esmeralda alongside Geisha.

We know that the taste of coffee is largely determined by variety, and Geisha coffee's exquisite flavor is precisely what made that variety so widely popular. Diamond Mountain's variety is Catuai, which is prevalent in many Central and South American countries.

 

So the Catuai variety combines the advantages of both: high yield, disease resistance, and a clean, bright cup. At the same time, compared to Bourbon, Catuai's yield is extremely high—one reason being its small plant size, which allows shorter spacing between plants. Catuai's planting density is almost twice that of Bourbon.

The quality of Front Street Diamond Mountain coffee comes not only from its superior growing environment and high-yielding variety but also from Hacienda La Esmeralda's mature processing techniques. At Hacienda La Esmeralda, workers wash the harvested ripe coffee cherries and send them directly to the patio, where they are evenly spread out to dry. Just as with the characteristics of natural-process coffee, because the fruit pulp is retained during drying, the beans absorb its sugars and develop more fruity and fermented aromas.

 

The Guardiola is a drying method frequently used at Hacienda La Esmeralda. As long as the size of the coffee cherries allows, the Guardiola can process large quantities of coffee at once. The Guardiola is a horizontally rotating drum that allows warm air to flow around the beans, thereby eliminating moisture and reducing the probability of mold. After the 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 beans and enhance the cup flavor.

Hacienda La Esmeralda——Introduction to the Flavor Description of Front Street Diamond Mountain Series Coffee

By observing the green beans of the natural-process Diamond Mountain, Front Street notes that the color tends toward yellow, and natural-process green beans have more silver skin on the surface. Catuai beans are flat with relatively elongated tips. To preserve more of the red berry character in the beans, Front Street's roaster adopted a medium-light roast level to present this Diamond Mountain. Now let's brew a cup and taste how it is.

Front Street Coffee's Diamond Mountain Brewing Recommendations

Grind size: medium-fine (80% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve)