Panama Natural Geisha (Butterfly Variety) Coffee BeansCoffee Bean Intro:

Panama

Panama is a Central American country, bordering Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east.

Coffee was introduced to Panama in the 19th century by European immigrants. By then, Panama had been independent from Spain for about 50 years, but as an agricultural product, Panamanian coffee only truly gained a foothold in the past 20 years.

Those familiar with single-origin coffees likely know that Panama is renowned in the coffee world for the Geisha variety from Hacienda Esmeralda. It can be said to be a country that strives for excellence in coffee and produces high-quality beans.

Although Panama coffee is famous for the Geisha from Hacienda Esmeralda, the region where Hacienda Esmeralda is located is also quite prestigious — the Boquete region in Chiriquí Province.

Boquete

Boquete is a town in Chiriquí Province, located near the border between Panama and Costa Rica, close to the famous Barú Volcano. With picturesque scenery, fertile and rich soil, and a climate and soil highly suitable for producing premium coffee, it is known as the “Coffee Paradise.”

Within the Boquete region, there are also many excellent farms. In addition to Hacienda Esmeralda, there are farms like Elida Estate and Finca Kotowa Duncan that also produce high-quality specialty coffee.

This is not only due to the mild climate conditions of the Boquete area in Panama and the fertile volcanic ash soil from the Barú Volcano.

Another important factor is the diverse microclimates found in the highlands of Boquete, Panama.

This is because the east-to-west environmental layout of Panama causes cold air currents to converge through the central mountain range at altitudes between 1,200 and 2,000 meters. The mountain fog, rain, and variable wind patterns create multiple microclimates in the Boquete area, making the temperature and rainfall highly suitable for plant growth. As a result, coffee trees grown here thrive exceptionally well.

Butterfly Variety

Then, in the land of Boquete, there is a coffee bean with particularly high cost-performance and a very beautiful name — the Butterfly Variety.

The Butterfly Variety consists of 70% Geisha coffee variety, made up of Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai. It is planted in the Barú Volcano region of Boquete, growing at an altitude of 1,600 meters in the volcanic area. The processing facility uses meticulous washed processing. The unique microclimate of Panama results in abundant rainfall in this region, along with significant day-night temperature differences. Coupled with the special volcanic soil of the volcanic area, as well as careful harvesting and refined processing, this coffee performs exceptionally well in terms of body, acidity, and floral aroma.

Coffee Variety Composition

Geisha, Caturra, Catuai

Geisha

The uniqueness of Geisha lies in its very distinct and pronounced floral and citrus flavors, extremely high cleanliness, soft and elegant acidity, long-lasting and silky sweetness, and the taste profile of premium black tea. The floral aroma and intense sweetness of tropical fruits give it a distinctive floral and fruity character.

Caturra

Caturra is a mutation of the Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. It has better yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, and the plants are shorter, making harvesting easier. It is adaptable and does not require shade trees, remaining vigorous even under direct sunlight, commonly referred to as Sun Coffee. Caturra is suitable for cultivation at low altitudes of 700 meters up to high altitudes of 1,700 meters, with strong altitude adaptability. However, the higher the altitude, the better the flavor, though yield decreases accordingly.

Catuai

Catuai is also an Arabica hybrid variety, a cross between Mundo Novo (New World) and Caturra. It has better resistance to natural disasters, especially wind and rain. It inherits the short tree height advantage of Caturra, addressing the shortcomings of Mundo Novo. Another advantage is its firm fruit set, which does not easily fall off in strong winds, compensating for the fragility of Arabica cherries.

Natural Process Method

The natural process involves reducing the moisture content of coffee through extensive drying. After selecting good coffee cherries, the whole fruit — pulp, mucilage, and all — is spread out on concrete patios or drying beds to dry naturally until the moisture content reaches about 12%. This takes approximately two to four weeks, depending on the climate of the origin. The drying process usually lasts around four weeks. Moreover, the coffee cherries themselves have quite high moisture content. When left to sit for over twenty days, natural fermentation reactions occur, and if fermentation goes too far, it can easily lead to spoilage.