Panama · Janson Estate · Natural GeishaCoffee Bean Intro:

Qianjie Coffee: Panama Janson Estate #364 Natural Geisha

Flavor: Grape juice, berries, fermented wine aroma, prune, dried fruit, pineapple

Janson Estate (Janson Farms), a treasure estate that has appeared on the Best of Panama list year after year since its debut in 2013 BOP An award-winning estate. In recent years, Janson Estate has not only become a standout among Panama Geishas with its exceptional coffee quality but also won the favor of professional competitors for its refined flavor profile, often featuring it as a key part of their competitions, making the name "Janson Estate" frequently appear on the international stage. Next, Qianjie will take you on a virtual tour of this renowned Panama Geisha estate.

As a family-run farm passed down through three generations, the story of Janson Estate dates back to the early 20th century. In 1926, a 21-year-old young man, Carl Axel Janson, came to Panama from Sweden. He was quickly captivated by the unique natural landscapes and pleasant climate, and, already yearning for a pastoral life, decided to immigrate with his wife, Margaret, to the highlands of Volcán in Chiriquí Province. There, they purchased a cattle ranch and started a dairy business.

It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that Carl and his family, with the help of agricultural experts, evaluated the land and realized that its volcanic soil, elevation, climate, and environment were highly suitable for growing coffee trees. So, in 1989, Mr. Janson and his sons (Michael, Carl, Ricardo, and Peter) founded the now multi-award-winning Jason Coffee, officially entering the coffee industry. As the farm’s facilities improved, the Janson family built a processing plant specifically designed for specialty coffee production in 1993, exploring everything about coffee, including varietal selection, cultivation, planting, harvesting, post-harvest processing, and more.

In 2003, when the Esmeralda Estate shot to fame and T2722 Geisha became an extremely popular variety in Panama, with all coffee farmers scrambling to plant it, the Janson family was no exception. At that time, the second-generation estate owners, who had taken over the farm’s operations, began introducing green-tipped Geisha trees to their plantation for trial planting, laying the foundation for their later rise to prominence among Panama’s elite estates. Currently, this well-known estate, which has been involved with coffee for over thirty years, grows varieties besides the widely known Geisha, including Catuai, Caturra, and Pacamara.

Janson Estate is located near the Talamanca Mountains in westernmost Panama and currently has two coffee-growing areas: Hacienda las Lagunas (Lagoon Plot) and Los Alpes (Alpine Plot), situated on the high-altitude slopes of Volcán Tisingal and Volcán Barú, respectively.

The Lagoon Plot is located west of Volcán Barú, and its name comes from a nearby lake. It not only has fertile volcanic soil but also multiple natural springs that irrigate the crops. Coffee trees are mostly planted at elevations of 1350–1400 meters.

The Alpine Plot, on the other hand, is near the northwest side of Volcán Barú. It sits on the higher-altitude edge of Volcán Tisingal in the Talamanca mountain range, bordering La Amistad International Park (La Amistad) in Panama, a UNESCO World Heritage natural reserve. With advantages such as ocean currents, springs, wetlands, and volcanic soil, this pristine forest has become an important habitat for various birds and wildlife, making it an ideal place for Geisha.

During research, Qianjie found that unlike other famous Panama estates like Esmeralda or Elida, Janson Estate not only operates livestock and coffee farming but is also a very hospitable tourist destination. Here, you can explore everything about coffee and also enjoy leisurely activities like boating on the lake near the farm or horseback riding on the beautiful slopes. Moreover, the Janson family specially built a Janson Café for visitors. Just imagine—who wouldn’t want to try a $4 cup of Janson Geisha?

Qianjie noticed that the logo designed by the Janson family is very simple but effectively conveys its most representative information through just a few lines: pristine forests and wild bird habitats. Whether in farm management or the specialty coffee sector, the Janson family has always prioritized the philosophy of "quality production and harmonious development," especially in the protection of nature and water resources. Carl and his family are truly role models in the industry.

To prevent pest invasions while protecting the flora and fauna that depend on the area, the Janson family separates the pristine forest from the plantation and focuses on avoiding the use of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. Instead, they rely on microbial enzymes to maintain nutrient balance in the soil. Additionally, the estate uses solar energy and recycled water for coffee processing, and the fruit peels and pulp left over from washed processing are organically treated and turned into fertilizer for coffee trees.

Like many famous Panama estates, half of the coffee trees at Janson Estate are Geisha varieties. Moreover, each batch released by the Janson family comes with a numerical code, a unique batch number implemented for fine management to achieve complete traceability for each batch of beans. For example, the Janson Geisha lot #364 acquired by Qianjie this year comes from the Alpine Plot and was processed using the natural method.

Generally, most farms transport harvested coffee cherries in regular burlap sacks, but Janson Estate uses crates to hold them. This minimizes the risk of fruit compression and juice loss. Janson Estate first sorts the harvested cherries, then spreads them out on drying beds to be sun-dried. After about 27–30 days, when the moisture content drops to around 12%, they are sent for hulling and then stored in a warehouse until export. To provide the best resting environment for the coffee cherries, the Janson family has also added a temperature- and humidity-controlled green bean warehouse to the processing facility, while closely monitoring the pH of the coffee cherries to ensure consistency across batches.

Considering that Panama Geishas often have delicate and complex floral and fruity aromas, Qianjie’s roasters chose a light-to-medium roast to highlight this Janson Natural Geisha. After four days of degassing and resting, Qianjie couldn’t wait to taste it, so they used cupping to evaluate the beans.