The renowned farm Hacienda Esmeralda in Panama held an auction for separated lots of their Esmeralda Especial Gesha coffee again this year. This was a mixed blessing: on the one hand this careful separation of Gesha lots by location or plot on the farm, and by harvest date, meant that we could compare and choose based on cup quality. Indeed we found there was a huge range in qualities among the different elevations. On the down side, the competition would drive the best lots to extreme prices: we are lucky that our favorite lots on the cupping table were not the "reserve" coffee that sold for $117 per pound! We thought the Caballeriza lot (as well as the Mario Carnival, which we did not bid on) were the best in the auction. No, it didn't go cheap, but it was less than the $125/Lb coffee from last year. I felt, overall, that last year's coffee was of a higher caliber. It was a small crop for most producers in Panama this year, and the limited amount in the Esmeralda auction might have driven prices more than anything. I felt that the cup we rated above 97 last year outcupped the new coffees even after it was stored 10 months or more. But this Caballeriza lot from 1500 meters in the Jaramillo area of Boquete really rated high next to the older coffees. Gesha (often spelled, wishfully, as Geisha, but this is not correct) is a cultivar with strong Ethiopian roots. It's rare that a coffee varietal announces itself so clearly in the cup flavors as the Gesha cultivar does in Panamanian coffee. It's extremely floral in the aromatics, with loads of tropical fruit. It is light bodied and delicate on one hand, yet extremely flavorful and long-lasting on the palate. There is no other coffee quite like it. And other farms that have cultivated Gesha don't attain the cup quality of the best Esmeralda Gesha. We have bought this coffee in auction, and farm direct for years. I was at the Best of Panama competition this year and Esmeralda Gesha won it, again; the Esmeralda Gesha makes blind cupping almost senseless, since I can identify its amazing fragrance, aroma and cup flavors immediately when I come upon it in a "blind" cupping! It is that dry fragrance that lets you know right away what is coming when the water hits the cup: this lot has sweet jasmine-like floral scents, and raspberry-strawberry fruit sweetness. The wet aroma has floral-herbal shampoo character, a hint of apricot and almond essence. The cup has jasmine and bergamot (the citrusy note from Earl Grey tea). There are layers of fruit below the citrus, red currant, dried strawberries, a touch of blueberry flavor as it cools, and just a dash of anise seed. The body is light, but silky in character. It's a delicate coffee, but so vividly sweet and flavorful!

This coffee is part of our direct trade Farm Gate pricing transparency program.

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What we are offering here is a set of two coffees a Gesha by the traditional wet-process method, and a rarity, a Gesha "Honey" coffee, processed using the non-traditional pulp natural technique. So the set totals 1 Lb. of coffee, 1/2 Lb. of each. It's a rare opportunity to compare 2 very different interpretations of the wonderful Gesha cultivar, picked from the same farms but processed by different methods. The Gesha coffee from Hacienda Esmeralda has been famous for years, but other Gesha plots have always been there, in smaller amounts. We bought the Don Pache Gesha in the Best of Panana competition some time back, and the Garrido farm Mama Cata has had Gesha for many years as well. But they simply do not have enough in most years to enter it in the Panama competition. In fact, we have just 50 Lbs. here in total, and don't think it will be around very long once we launch this. So this review is really for 2 highly related but slightly different coffees (The cupping scores represent a combined analysis). I think it's a great opportunity to taste the difference processing makes against the backdrop of a super dynamic, bright, aromatic coffee like this high-grown Gesha lot. Panama Garrido Gesha, Traditional Wet-Process: As stated, this is the type of process done on all the Esmeralda Gesha coffees and results in the bright, clean, light-bodied cup. The dry fragrance of the wet-process lot is super floral, citrus blossom and rose at City roast. The wet aroma has a jasmine floral scent and tea biscuit sweetness, and is more dynamic in the light roast range. The wet process lot is certainly true to form; lighter body, brighter high notes, slightly more tart in the acidity, brilliantly clean and lively. There are lemon zests in the alto range, while a sugary sweetness, fading to lightly caramelized sugar, balances out the brightness. They body is light, but has a silky quality and overall the cup seems bubbling with life, effervescent. Panama Garrido Gesha, Honey Coffee (Pulp Natural Process): In this process, the coffee is not fermented to take off the fruity pulp, as it is in the wet-process. Here the coffee fruit is skinned and allowed to dry on screens with the fruit intact. Pulp naturals tend to have more body, more fruity notes, perhaps a little less acidity. The dry fragrance from the honey coffee is like a sweet graham cracker, and does indeed have a strong honey and bees wax scent. It is more fruited, with mango and melon notes. The wet aroma has ripe lemon, peach and honey. The aromatics are more muted than the wet-process lot for sure. While it is not as dynamic in brightness or aroma, the body adds a sense of roundness and fullness that the wet-process lot misses. Melon and stone fruit flavors dominate; apricot and peach. There's a slight cocoa note to the roast, but it is very sweet, as is the wet-process lot. I don't want to make any conclusions here ... I think you can reach your own. But since I was a judge at the Panama event, I think the wet-process lot could have won it. As you take your second, third, fifth sip, allow it to wash over your palate, the sweetness and floral notes are just brilliant, the aftertaste near godly. The Honey lot was consistently my favorite when cupping down in Panama, and it is probably the more crowd-pleasing coffee, but that wet-process lot ... wow. It's a little tricky here, to avoid over-roasting them and losing some of the aromatics. Under-roasts have a grainy finish, but can improve with resting time. Pay attention when roasting and you will have a wonderful reward!

This coffee is part of our direct trade Farm Gate pricing transparency program.

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The Volcan area is on the opposite side of Volcan Baru from the well-known town of Boquete, all in the state of Chirqui, western Panama. This coffee is a selection of small-farm lots from the higher altitudes of the Paso Ancho area, between the town of Volcan and Bambito, on the way to Cerro Punto. Most of these are farms too small to do lot separations, but they all come from the same basic terroir and are planted in Caturra and Bourbon (with some Catuai). And they are all located between 1750 and 1900 meters, very high altitude! The result is a bright, crisp cup that has the density to take on a wide range of roasts. The dry fragrance has ample sweetness, suggestions of caramel apple, and spice. The wet aroma is fruited and spicy; passionfruit, peach preserves, cinnamon stick. The cup has a crystal-clear brightness, a crisp acidity, effervescent and lively. There are floral flavors, honeysuckle blossom, candied apricot, a clean and refined sweetness. All through the roast range from City to Full City+ the coffee maintains its clarity, even as mildy bittersweet chocolate roast tones at FC roast levels. The body is well-suited to the cup, fairly light, but has creamy mouthfeel. There is a almond-like roast tone to the lighter levels (City, City+) and the finish is brief. It's no powerhouse flavor profile, but a classy, delicate cup with distinct soprano range of flavors. In an age of experimental pulp natural Panamas, it is fantastic to have a coffee like this, demonstrating the timeless and classic cup characteristics that made Panama a respected name!

This coffee is part of our direct trade Farm Gate pricing transparency program.

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