The 28th Best of Panama (BOP) competition and auction of 2024 have successfully concluded. The top lot this year was won by Hacienda La Esmeralda's natural Geisha, fetching a bid price of $10,013 per kilogram (about 71,898 RMB), setting a new world record once again. Meanwhile, Elida Estate's washed Geisha followed closely at $10,002 per kilogram, with prices in the multi-variety category roughly tripling compared to last year. From $2.37 per pound in 2002 to today's five-figure US dollar level, BOP auction prices have continued to climb, and the prices of top-lot pour-over coffee in domestic coffee shops have also risen accordingly. This article will provide a complete overview of this year's competition, the highlights of each category, and the historical context, giving you a comprehensive look at the market trends of Panama's top coffees. [more…]

The results of the 2018 Best of Panama (BOP) auction have been officially revealed. The natural Geisha shattered the historical record with a staggering price of $803 per pound, becoming this year's top lot. Elida Estate, with its double victory in both the washed and natural Geisha categories, became the first "double champion" in BOP history. This year's auction not only witnessed the continued dominance of the Geisha variety but also reflected the profound impact of reduced production in the Panama region on the scale of the competition. Front Street Coffee takes you through a comprehensive review of the highlights and changes of this world-class green bean event. [more…]

The results of the 2022 Best of Panama (BOP) green bean competition are in, and beyond the rankings of the various estates, one coffee bean that broke the historical high-score record in the Traditional category—Chicho Gayo from Hartmann Estate—has sparked heated discussion. Is it actually a Geisha variety? Why was it disqualified last year, yet this year won the Traditional category championship? This article will take you deep into the origins of this coffee bean, the story of its variety cultivation, and its connection to and differences from Geisha. At the same time, we will also share the overall performance of this year's BOP competition under climate challenges, as well as Front Street Coffee's attention to and recommendation of this bean. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or a professional in the industry, this article will unveil the mystery of Chicho Gayo for you. [more…]

In the 28th Best of Panama (BOP) competition in 2024, the champion of the multi-variety category was won by Hacienda Black Moon's Chiroso variety with a score of 94.1. Hacienda Black Moon is located in Boquete, a famous producing region in Panama. After Hunter Tedman, the current SCAP chairman, took over, he transformed a vegetable plantation with depleted soil into a bio-friendly coffee estate. The first coffee tree was planted in 2018. In 2022, it entered the competition for the first time and won 9th place in the natural Geisha category and 11th place in the washed Geisha category, while Chiroso even won second place in the multi-variety category. This year, it went a step further and won the championship. This article will introduce you to Hacienda Black Moon's transformation process, the terroir advantages of the Boquete producing region, and how the Chiroso variety promotes the development of Panama coffee diversity. Front Street Coffee will also continue to follow the estate's subsequent performance. [more…]

The results of the 26th Best of Panama (BOP) green bean competition in 2022 have been announced. The champion of the Washed Geisha category was won by Aurora Estate, while the crown in the Natural Geisha category went to Guarumo Estate under the Hartmann family. Front Street Coffee had already acquired the 2022 harvest Guarumo Estate Natural Geisha coffee beans before the competition. This article will take you into a deeper understanding of the estate's historical origins, cultivation philosophy, and the flavor performance and brewing suggestions of this champion-level Geisha. From the Hartmann family's story of European immigration, to Guarumo Estate'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 article will help you understand the complete picture of this charming Natural Geisha. [more…]

The Panama BOP (Best of Panama) is the world's first green coffee competition. Since its inception in 1996, it has profoundly advanced the development of specialty coffee, and Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha shot to fame in 2004. Hacienda La Esmeralda meticulously grades its Geisha by altitude and plot, forming a three-tier system of Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label. This article systematically reviews the origins of the BOP competition and auction, the history and plot divisions of Hacienda La Esmeralda, analyzes in detail the definitional differences between Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label, and includes Front Street Coffee's brewing parameter recommendations and flavor descriptions, providing coffee lovers with a complete guide to Geisha knowledge. [more…]

Beijing time this morning, the results of the BOP "Best of Panama" competition, known as a bellwether for the specialty coffee world, were announced. Hacienda La Esmeralda, which once discovered and promoted the Geisha variety in Panama, once again became the biggest winner, sweeping the top scores in three categories: the Varietal group, the Geisha Natural group, and the Geisha Washed group, with 97 points for Natural Geisha, 98 points for Washed Geisha, and 92.88 points for the Varietal group, earning it the title of Best Producer of the Year. The competition leaderboard also featured many well-known estates such as Sofia, Nugu, Totumas, Elida, San Ignacio, Lerida, Maya, and Dark Moon. With its slender bean shape and floral characteristics, Geisha rewrote the landscape of origin after appearing on the BOP stage in 2004, with auction prices climbing all the way from $21 per pound. In 2024, Elida Natural Geisha even set a new record at $10,013 per kilogram. This article walks you through this year's results, the historical context, and the market significance. [more…]

Although Panama is a small country, it occupies a pivotal position in the world of specialty coffee. This article begins with an overview of Panama as a nation, then traces its coffee-growing history, the three well-known producing areas in Chiriquí Province, its main varieties and processing methods, and focuses on the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP) and the Best of Panama (BoP) competition. It also details the family heritage of Hacienda La Catoiva, the flavor differences between the Duncan and Don Hé plots, and the cupping performance of the 2017 BoP auction lot of natural Geisha. Front Street Coffee recommends paying attention to the charm of Geisha from this producing region. [more…]

The Best of Panama (BOP) is the world's first green coffee competition, using blind cupping to conduct sensory evaluation of Panamanian specialty coffee, and it has greatly promoted the specialty cultivation of Panamanian coffee. This article begins with the history of the BOP auction and provides a detailed introduction to the Geisha legend of Hacienda La Esmeralda, including the grading criteria for Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label, their plot origins, processing methods, and flavor differences, along with Front Street Coffee's brewing parameter recommendations to help coffee enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of the origins and evolution of this top-tier Geisha. [more…]

The results of the 2024 Best of Panama (BOP) competition have been announced. In the Washed Geisha category, Elida Estate's Lorenny Estate claimed the crown with a score of 95.5 points, and this emerging estate under Adela Coffee is rising rapidly. The reason Panamanian coffee has long occupied the pinnacle of the specialty coffee world is not only the legendary flavor of the Geisha variety, but also the decades of promotion by the SCAP association and the BOP competition. This article will guide you through an in-depth understanding of Panama's coffee-growing regions and terroir, the unique microclimate of Boquete, and the cultivation background and estate owner's story of the champion estate Lorenny. It also includes Front Street Coffee's recommendations and purchasing advice for this champion bean. [more…]

Coffee auctions are an important force driving the development of specialty coffee, and Panama's BOP is precisely the benchmark among them. This article begins with the founding background of BOP and its first auction, sorting out how it helped Panamanian coffee emerge from a price crisis, and focuses on the Volcan region, which has performed brilliantly in recent years, introducing the region's altitude, climate, and flavor characteristics. It then delves into Hartmann Estate to learn about its history, forestland protection, and cultivated varieties, and finally brings a brewing flavor description of the Hartmann Geisha anaerobic natural beans purchased by Front Street Coffee, suitable for coffee enthusiasts to systematically understand the context of Panamanian specialty coffee. [more…]

How much can a cup of pour-over coffee sell for? Recently, a coffee shop in Wenling, Zhejiang, sparked heated discussion with a hand-brewed coffee priced at 2,888 yuan on its menu, with the original price even marked at 3,888 yuan. Netizens joked, "Did they forget to mark the decimal point?" The owner responded that the high-priced beans are all BOP auction lots, and the pricing is based on international competition auction prices, not set arbitrarily. One of them, a 2021 Panama Geisha, once set a record at $2,568 per pound, and now a single cup sells for 3,888 yuan with a 10-day advance reservation required. Besides the top auction beans, the shop also offers affordable options ranging from 18 to 188 yuan, with an average spend of about 47 yuan per person. Front Street Coffee takes you behind the story of this cup of coffee that "ordinary workers don't deserve to drink." [more…]

In the 2024 28th Best of Panama (BOP) competition, Hacienda Black Moon's Chiroso submission scored 94.1 points to take the top spot in the multi-variety category, continuing this variety's impressive run on the international stage in recent years. Chiroso originates from Urrao in Antioquia, Colombia, and won the 2014 Colombia COE; it has since gradually been introduced to Panama and elsewhere. Its genetic background was once mistakenly thought to be related to Caturra, but research later confirmed that it is related to Ethiopian landraces, though it is not a natural mutation of Caturra. Chiroso beans are pointed and elongated, with prominent floral and fruity notes and complex acidity; its flavor is often compared to Geisha, with a fuller body. This article will sort through the variety's origin, spread, plant characteristics, and flavor performance, and introduce its roasting potential, providing coffee lovers with a complete variety profile. [more…]

In the western valley of the Barú Volcano, near the Costa Rican border in Panama's Volcán region, lies a young estate established only in 2006—Auromar. The estate's name is a combination of the names of the owner Roberto's daughter Aurora and granddaughter Mar. Since winning the washed Geisha category at the BOP competition in 2013, Auromar has been shortlisted almost every year, and the Ironman Geisha has thus become widely renowned. The name "Ironman" stems from the owner's passion for triathlon, while the natural process lots are named after his granddaughter Camilina. This article will outline Auromar's geography and microclimate, the naming stories of the Ironman Geisha and Camilina, the natural processing workflow, and, combined with Front Street Coffee's roasting and pour-over recommendations, present this natural Geisha's floral aroma, strawberry, guava, and oolong tea aftertaste. [more…]

Sophia Estate is one of the highest-altitude Geisha plantations in Panama, founded by Willem Boot in 2008. Having endured extreme environmental and climatic challenges, it ultimately won the BOP competition twice. This article will guide you through the development history of Sophia Estate, the flavor characteristics of its Geisha coffee, and Front Street Coffee's roasting approach and brewing parameters for this natural Geisha, providing coffee enthusiasts with a complete reference from origin to cup. [more…]

The champion of the Washed Geisha group at the 26th Panama BOP competition in 2022 was won by Guarumo Estate, a mini estate purchased in 2013 by the third-generation manager of the Hartmann family, covering only four hectares, yet demonstrating astonishing strength for many consecutive years. The 2022 new-crop sun-dried Geisha obtained by Front Street Coffee, though not the competition batch, likewise carries the estate's high-altitude terroir and light-roast craftsmanship. This article will guide you through the historical origins of Guarumo Estate and the Hartmann family's coffee lineage, and provide a detailed breakdown of this champion bean's flavor performance and brewing parameters, from grind size and water temperature to the three-stage pouring technique, fully presenting its layers of mango, pineapple, white floral fragrance, and malt-fermented sweetness. [more…]

Panamanian specialty coffee enjoys a global reputation, and the 2023 BOP Washed Group champion, Carmen Estate, set a new record with 96.5 points and created a new high for green bean auctions at $10,005 per kilogram. Located in the Volcán region at an altitude of 1,750 meters, this estate is tied with Elida as the highest-altitude Geisha estate in Panama, with more than 60 years of history and 60% primary forest. Today, Front Street Coffee takes everyone to gain an in-depth understanding of Carmen Estate's terroir conditions, cultivation management, processing methods, and how it has repeatedly achieved excellent results in the BOP competition. [more…]

In 2024, the Best of Panama (BOP) introduced the Best Producer of the Year award for the first time, which was won by the Lamastus family, whose three estates—Elida, El Burro, and Luito—are all located in the Boquete region. This article will guide you through the background of Panama coffee's rise, the development of the BOP competition, and the history, altitude conditions, cultivated varieties, and terroir characteristics of these three estates, along with a brewing and flavor reference for Front Street Coffee's Elida Estate Catuai beans. [more…]

In the brilliant starry sky of Panama's specialty coffee, Finca Sophia is a particularly dazzling new star. Founded in 2008 by coffee expert Willem Boot, this estate, with its ultra-high-altitude growing environment and extreme pursuit of the Geisha variety, won the washed category championship on its first participation in the BOP competition in 2017, and in 2020 won the washed category championship again as well as second place in the natural category. This article will delve into the background story, cultivation challenges, and terroir conditions of Finca Sophia, and present a detailed flavor description and brewing suggestions for the 2022-crop natural Geisha sold at Front Street Coffee stores, unveiling the unique charm of this top-tier Geisha for you. [more…]

Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha coffee beans are world-renowned, but what exactly are the differences between the Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label? From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out the origins of the BOP (Best of Panama) green bean competition and its auction mechanism, reviews Hacienda La Esmeralda's journey from its establishment in 1964 to its rise to fame with Geisha in 2004, and analyzes in detail the microclimates and grading logic of the estate's three major plots: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo. At the same time, the article will explain the definitions, altitude ranges, processing methods, and flavor characteristics of the Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label, and provide brewing parameters recommended by Front Street Coffee, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the grading system and key purchasing points of Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha. [more…]