Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Washed from Diamond MountainCoffee Bean Intro:

Most people are probably very familiar with the Geisha coffee beans from Hacienda La Esmeralda. The estate categorizes its Geisha cultivars under three brands: Esmeralda Special, Private Collection, and Geisha 1500, commonly known as Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label respectively. In addition to grading Geisha varieties, Hacienda La Esmeralda also categorizes its Caturra and Catuai cultivars under two brands: Diamond Mountain and Palmyra. This article fromFront Street will introduce the washed Diamond Mountain coffee beans.

Hacienda La Esmeralda - Washed Diamond Mountain Coffee Beans

Coffee region: Boquete

Coffee estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda

Growing altitude: 1400-1700m

Coffee varieties: Catuai, Caturra

Processing method: Washed process

Hacienda La Esmeralda

La Esmeralda Estate

In 1964, American banker Rudolph A. Peterson retired, moved to Panama, and purchased Hacienda La Esmeralda located in Boquete. Initially, the estate focused on dairy farming. Later, his son Price, who resigned from his medical career, assisted his father in managing the farm. In 1987, they introduced the Caturra and Catuai coffee varieties. By 1994, they established a washed coffee processing facility, thereby owning their own coffee processing plant.

The Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda was somewhat of an “accident.” Originally, because the Geisha trees were tall, sparse-leaved, and low-yielding, they were used as windbreaks to protect the high-yield Caturra and Catuai coffee plants in other areas from strong winds. However, during harvesting, the farm owners faintly detected an enchanting floral aroma. This led them to discover, amidst the fierce winds and low temperatures—conditions typically unsuitable for most coffee plants—that the Geisha trees in the windbreak area were thriving and emitting a fragrant citrus and floral scent. Consequently, in 2004, Hacienda La Esmeralda entered the Geisha variety into a competition alone, where it became an overnight sensation at the Best of Panama (BOP) competition, thereby establishing the estate’s esteemed status in the specialty coffee world.

Caturra & Catuai Varieties

Caturra & Catuai

As mentioned earlier, Hacienda La Esmeralda initially introduced and primarily cultivated the Caturra and Catuai varieties. Caturra is a mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. It has better yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, with shorter tree height that facilitates harvesting. It is adaptable and does not require shade trees, suitable for planting at elevations ranging from 700m in low altitudes to 1700m in high altitudes. It has strong adaptability to elevation, but the higher the altitude, the better the flavor, albeit with slightly reduced yield.

Catuai, developed in 1949 through artificial hybridization of yellow Caturra (Caturra) and Mundo Novo, was initially called “H-2077.” Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain. Due to its smaller plant size, it can be planted at double the density, and its short stature makes pest and disease management relatively easier. Catuai grows robustly, has a low height, but is susceptible to leaf rust.

Diamond Mountain Series

Diamond Mountain

The Caturra and Catuai varieties of the Diamond Mountain series are grown in the Cañas Verdes and Jaramillo regions, with the overall coffee plantation distributed at altitudes between 1400–1700m. The Diamond Mountain brand coffee holds Rainforest Alliance Certification and is recognized as eco-friendly.

Cañas Verdes receives an annual rainfall of 3500ml, with daytime average temperatures between 16-23°C and nighttime averages between 10-15°C. The average elevation is between 1600-1800m. Cañas Verdes includes a total of 9 small plots: Lino (flax), Coronado (coronation), Fundador (founder), León (lion), Montaña (mountain), Trapiche (sugar mill), Chinta (golden tower), Cabaña (cabin), Tumaco (Tumaco).

Jaramillo receives an annual rainfall of 4000ml, with daytime average temperatures between 19-25°C and nighttime averages between 11-15°C. The average elevation is between 1600-1700m. The Jaramillo plot is subdivided into 5 smaller plots: Mario, Noria (ferris wheel), Reina (queen), Bosque (forest), Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires).

Rainforest Alliance Certification: Farms that meet the standards set by the Rainforest Alliance are certified by the alliance, which protects the farm’s ecosystem and surrounding environment, restricts pesticide use, and evaluates benchmarks such as waste management. Only coffee that passes assessment and certification can be called “Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee.” Because the coffee cultivation process has minimal impact on the ecological environment, the Panamanian government has also awarded the Diamond Mountain series coffee beans the eco-friendly label.

Washed Process

Natural

The Diamond Mountain beans acquired by Front Street Coffee were processed using the washed method. In the washed process, harvested coffee cherries are directly sent to patios to dry. As the coffee cherries slowly dry, the coffee beans inside remain, infused with fruity and aromatic essences. Depending on weather conditions and site composition, the coffee cherries are dried on concrete patios for 3 to 5 days (8 hours each day).

Once the coffee cherries reach a certain level of dryness, they are then transferred to a Guardiola dryer for 72 hours of rotation to complete the drying process and prevent fermentation. After drying, the coffee cherries are mechanically depulped to remove the skin and pulp. Front Street Coffee believes the washed process enhances the sweetness of the beans and imparts flavors of ripe red berries.

Front Street Coffee Green Bean Analysis

Upon observing the washed green beans of Diamond Mountain, the beans appear yellowish in color, and the silver skin on the surface is relatively abundant. Caturra beans have a slightly curved, round, and slender shape at the tail, while Catuai beans are flatter with a more slender tail.

Front Street Coffee Roasting Record

Front Street roasters used a Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster with a batch size of 480g. The roaster was preheated to 165°C before dropping the beans. The initial heat setting was 130, with the air vent open to 3. The turning point occurred at 1’36”, maintaining the heat. At 112°C, the heat remained unchanged, and the air vent was opened to 4. At 127°C, the heat was increased to 140. At 6’15”, the beans turned yellow, the grassy aroma disappeared, entering the drying phase. At 151°C, the heat was reduced to 110, keeping the air vent at 4.

At 9’00”, the drying phase was completed, with the bean surface showing wrinkles and black speckles. The smell transitioned from toasted bread to coffee aroma, signaling the prelude to first crack. Careful attention was paid to the sound of first crack. At 10’48”, first crack began, with the air vent fully open to 5. The development time after first crack was 1’20”, and the beans were dropped at 191°C.

Front Street Coffee Cupping Report

Front Street Coffee conducts cupping within 8-24 hours after sample coffee beans are roasted. The cupping bowls used by Front Street baristas are typically 200ml ceramic bowls. The cupping water temperature is 94°C. The grind size is controlled to achieve a 70%-75% extraction rate through a standard 20-number sieve (0.85mm). The ratio is 11.1g of coffee powder to 200ml of hot water, i.e., 1:18.18, yielding an extraction concentration within the optimal Golden Cup range of 1.15%-1.35%. The steeping time is 4 minutes.

Dry aroma: Citrus, berries

Wet aroma: Citrus

Flavor: Citrus, honey, cocoa, fermented wine aroma

Front Street Coffee Brewing Insights

Brewer: V60 #01

Water temperature: 90-91°C

Coffee dose: 15g

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: Medium-fine (80% through a 20-number Chinese standard sieve)

Front Street brewing technique: Three-stage pour-over. Begin with a 30-second bloom using 30g of water. Pour in a small circular motion until reaching 125g, then pause when the water level drops close to exposing the coffee bed and continue pouring to 225g. Stop pouring when the water level nears the coffee bed again. Remove the brewer (start timing from bloom), with a total brew time of 2’00”.

Brewed flavors: Citrus, bright acidity, nuts, honey, slight fermentation, smooth mouthfeel, cocoa aftertaste.