Panama - Hacienda La Esmeralda

Hacienda La Esmeralda

To those in the specialty coffee industry, Hacienda La Esmeralda is the most famous of all coffee farms. Owned and managed by the Peterson family, not only do they produce coffees of an admirably high quality, but the farm and mill are also Rainforest Alliance Certified so environmental and social concerns are of the utmost importance.

Their “Esmeralda Special” coffee is meticulously selected from the Geisha Arabica trees on the family’s Esmeralda Jaramillo farm. This coffee is currently the magnum opus of the coffee world; a rare example of where the coffee’s aroma and flavour match the mystique of the name and origin.

However, the Esmeralda Special does require customers with deep pockets – in 2007 the coffee once again scooped up accolades including the winner of the Best of Panama competition, with the winning lot selling at auction for a staggering $130 per pound.

The History of the Geisha

The roots of the Geisha of Panama lie in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) and the remote Geisha Mountain. Seeds were reputed to have been collected by an expedition in the 1930’s and taken to Kenya. According to records, it would seem that planting then occurred in Tanzania before the arrival of seeds in Costa Rica in the 1950’s and Panama some time after. Indeed, the coffee’s history remains as mysterious as its aromas.

The Peterson family bought an old coffee farm in the Jaramillo area of Boquete in 1996, with a good altitude, range of Arabica varietals and pleasant cup profile. However, its secret was only revealed several years later when Daniel Peterson worked on a hunch that a small part of the farm might produce exceptional coffee that was being mixed in with the remainder.

Sure enough, a small, cold climate valley in the upper reaches of the farm was home to the rare Geisha (or Gesha) Arabica – a low yielding tree with strange, elongated, blue-green beans – that gave an astonishing orange-like aroma and flavour.

Diamond Mountain

At Hacienda La Esmeralda they also produce another excellent specialty coffee – Diamond Mountain - that is prepared from coffees cultivated under shade trees at between 1400 and 1700 metres above sea level in these rich, volcanic soils.

There is a wide array of social programs undertaken, in particular supporting the Ngobe-Bugle nomadic group who migrate to the highlands during harvest. There may be 1000 coffee pickers and families to support, so day care centres, medical resources, education and nutritional supplies are all important.

It’s a hot and sunny day, perfect for absorbing the Boquete coffee growing area. I’m met by Rachel Peterson, whose grandfather first bought the farm in the 1960’s. With both a dairy farming element and the coffee production, Esmeralda is jointly administered and managed by Rachel’s parents Price and Susan and brother Daniel (Rachel runs the marketing element from Puerto Rico).

Coffee from the lower areas of the farms have primarily been harvested and processed, but the harvesting of coffees from the upper areas – including the Geisha trees on the Jaramillo farm and Diamond Mountain coffees – is only half completed.

We have a full table of coffees to blind taste or “cup”. 2 coffees have the unmistakable mandarin – floral scent and amazing flavour that can only be Esmeralda Geisha, but there is also a cup with a lemony, peppery nose and perfect balance that is just what I’m looking for in a Grumpy Mule coffee. This is a Diamond Mountain lot. It’s a great experience to be able to experience and taste these outstanding coffees where they are grown.

Esmeralda Jaramillo

An excellent lunch with the family provides a great opportunity to talk about the environmental practices and new innovations on the farm and the wider coffee trends in the specialty coffee industry.

Afterwards, a short drive up the steep mountainside that overlooks Boquete leads us to the Esmeralda Jaramillo farm. The Geisha trees are tall and majestic with scatterings of bright, ripe cherries. Having cupped the first pickings of this coffee, it looks like this farm will once again be producing some superb batches of the Esmeralda Special for 2008.

My time in Boquete is completed with a walk around the annual Coffee and Flower Fair, with its heady mix of bright floral displays, bustling stalls and fairground rides. The place is packed with visitors and the party continues well into the night with some suitably loud music.