A washed geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda from the Canas Verdes farm. A more traditional cup with tasting notes of jasmine, green apple and honey.

About the farmer:

Hacienda La Esmeralda made coffee history in 2004 with the discovery of Panama Geisha coffee's exceptional qualities, characterized by intense jasmine florals and delicate stone fruit notes that captivated the coffee world. The estate was originally assembled by Hans Elliot in 1940 and later purchased by Rudolf A. Peterson in 1967 as a retirement venture, transitioning from beef cattle to dairy farming before diversifying into coffee in the mid-1980s. The Geisha coffee's journey began in 1936 when Captain Richard Whalley collected seeds from around Geisha Mountain in Ethiopia, which eventually made their way through Tanzania and Costa Rica before reaching Hacienda La Esmeralda. In the 1990s, the Petersons acquired a high-altitude farm they named Jaramillo, where they noticed Geisha trees showed resistance to coffee leaf rust, leading them to plant more Geisha at elevations above 1650 meters. Through continued refinement of production, fermentation, and drying techniques, Hacienda La Esmeralda has produced record-breaking microlots while maintaining their founding principles and core production values.

About the process:

Washed coffee beans are processed using a method that emphasizes clarity and brightness in the cup by removing the coffee cherry’s fruit layer before drying. After the coffee cherries are harvested, they are placed in water tanks, where the ripe cherries sink, and the unripe or defective ones float and are removed. The cherries are then passed through a depulper, which removes the outer skin and much of the fruit pulp. Next, the beans are placed in fermentation tanks, where natural enzymes and microbes break down any remaining mucilage (the sticky layer) over a period of 12 to 48 hours. After fermentation, the beans are thoroughly washed with clean water to remove any remaining residue, then spread out to dry in the sun or using mechanical dryers. This method highlights the coffee's intrinsic flavors, often resulting in bright, crisp acidity and a clean cup profile.