Coffee was probably brought to Panama by the first European colonists in the early 19th century. In the past, Panama did not have a good coffee reputation and produced only a tenth of the coffee volume of its neighbor Costa Rica. Recently, however, the specialty coffee community has been paying closer attention to the high-quality coffee that Panama has to offer.
History of coffee in Panama
The geography of the country is such that in its coffee regions there are areas with different microclimates. Many Panamanian farmers strive to grow good coffee. Therefore, the country produces an excellent product, although sometimes it is overpriced. This is dictated by another important factor that affects the industry in Panama - the cost of real estate. There is great demand from US residents who want to buy a home in a beautiful country that is stable and relatively cheap. Many farms that once produced coffee were sold to foreigners as estates. Panama has also adopted higher wage standards, so high wages for berry pickers result in additional price hikes for consumers
Types of Panamanian coffee
Despite the fact that the country cannot boast of quantity, it excels in quality. Geisha is the best, but not the only worthy representative of the local coffee industry. Many producers supply the market with excellent examples of taste and aroma, in addition, they use unique methods of processing beans (for example, wine natural, when coffee cherries are allowed to overripe, due to which they acquire a sweetish and slightly fermented taste).
The grains are also processed using traditional dry and wet methods (in the first case, the pulp is peeled from the dried fruit, in the second - from the fresh one).
82% of the production is Arabica, 18% is Robusta.
Famous brands of Panamanian coffee: Lerida, Berlina, La Torcaza.
Geisha
The Geisha variety, named after the Ethiopian village near which it was found, appeared in Panama in the 1960s. At first, this coffee was not a success - it was planted in the lowlands, where the trees were instantly infected with leaf rust. The taste of the finished drink turned out to be far from perfect. For several decades, Geisha was not even remembered, mixing its meager harvests with other varieties of coffee, so that neither producers nor tasters could notice the unique taste.
In 2004, the Finca Esmeralda farm presented the variety at the annual Best of Panama competition, and the beans not only took first place in their category, but also created a sensation - it turned out that Geisha produces surprisingly tasty coffee with a rich and unusual bouquet.
HACIENDA LA ESMERALDA
When it comes to the price of coffee, one Panamanian farm deserves a special mention. It is difficult to name any other plantation that has such an impact on the coffee industry in Central America. This is Hacienda La Esmeralda, the farm of the Peterson family. At a time when the price of commercial coffee was relatively low, the Panama Specialty Coffee Association organized a competition called Best of Panama. In this competition, the best lots of Panamanian beans were first assessed by experts and then put up for auction online. Hacienda La Esmeralda has been breeding Geisha for several years, but it was only through this competition that she became known to a wider audience. The farm won the competition four years in a row - from 2004 to 2007, and then again in 2009 and 2010, and took first place in one of the categories of the 2013 competition. From the very beginning, this coffee broke all price records when its price reached $21 per pound in 2004, and in 2010 the price increased to $170 per pound. A small batch of this naturally processed coffee sold for $350.25 per pound—the most expensive coffee in the world.
Unlike producers of other expensive coffees (such as the inherently unpleasant Kopi Luwak, which is considered a novelty and therefore in great demand; or some Blue Mountain coffees), this farm receives huge profits due to the truly high quality of its product. Although demand and a great marketing campaign undoubtedly played a role. The taste of this coffee, which breaks all records, is unusual: very fruity and citrusy, at the same time quite light, the body of the drink resembles tea. These traits are inherent in the Geisha variety. Following the Peterson family, farms in Panama and Central America began to cultivate Geisha. Many producers hoped that they would make good money this way, and to some extent this happened, because Geisha lots are sold at a higher price than other varieties.
Review of “Panama Geisha Cambera”
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No review of coffee can convey the aroma. I do not claim to be an expert in this area - my experience in tasting good varieties is still very modest. But Panama Geisha Cambera was an important step for me on the path from coffee from the store shelf to a real drink that can bring a little joy to your day.
“Why not buy coffee at your local supermarket? There is a choice there, you can always find a pretty decent option,” that’s how I thought until recently. A random acquaintance helped me change my view of coffee. I liked the aroma and taste of the drink she treated me so much that I began to study information about coffee.
“ Panama Geisha Kambera ” was my first truly successful purchase as a coffee lover. I remember being very impressed by how good coffee smelled. I'm used to the smell of budget varieties - a little bitter, not too pleasant, but quite tolerable. It turned out that high-quality varieties of the drink can have completely different aromas: wine, fruit, floral, and I don’t like all of them.
Before buying coffee , I carefully study the notes that characterize the variety. For Panama Geisha Camber they are mango, white wine and jasmine. My first impression of this variety was a pleasant surprise - for the first time I was able to agree with the manufacturer's description. Previously, all aromas for me merged into a single melody. I could only describe them as bitter, fresh or floral. Here I can feel individual notes.
When opening the pack, floral motifs are most noticeable; when grinding, a subtle aroma of white wine is revealed. And when the coffee brews and enters the cup, I can clearly smell the warm smell of mango.
A review of coffee would not be complete without describing the taste of the finished drink. It is very rich, a real flavor bomb. After the first sip, you want to go to where this coffee grew - to a warm and colorful country on the other side of the globe.
I definitely recommend Panama Geisha Cambera coffee This variety helped me get to know the rich world of real coffee better. What I liked most is that it is well balanced - moderately fresh and sweet, not bitter at all. Perhaps my review of coffee will help you make your choice. It seems to me that this variety will be the best choice for both coffee lovers and lovers of a strong aromatic drink. The first will definitely like the aroma, and the second – the rich taste.
Thanks for your feedback, Alexander!
Best of Panama competition
Elida Estate team at the Bes of Panama 2019 awards ceremony
The competition took place from May 22 to 25.
In the process of expert evaluation, numerous tests and cuppings, the naturally processed Elida Geisha variety scored 95.25 points out of 100 possible, surpassing its own record from last year of 93.24 points. Its washed treatment equivalent scored 95 points, beating last year's record of 94.66 points.
Thus, The Elida Geisha coffee became not only the most expensive coffee in the world, but also the best.
“It was impossible to believe, like a waking dream.
We could only dream of winning one category and succeeding in another, because no one had ever done this before, and even in the same year. And so we repeated it twice." “When we won the first time, we were just shocked. But with the second victory of the year came the feeling of “Wow, we did it.” We didn't have a great year, but we worked hard and our coffee truly deserves it." Wilford Lamastus Jr. says
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Happiness, joy, celebration, amusement. These were the combination of emotions yesterday by Wilford Lamastus after beating not only his own record, but reaching for the first time a four digit mark per lb of coffee in a public auction! The Best of Panama Auction in celebrating its 19th edition keeps surprising everyone, this year the same coffee that reached a record in BOP history of 95.25 got a price of $1029/lb. After so many years of adversity and constant failures in the industry in Panama and the Lamastus family, Wilford kept getting up and he fought all the way to the top. Last night he witnessed his efforts being valued by a Japanese buyer from a super well respected company (@sazacoffee). Wilford achieved the highest price paid for a lb of green coffee, but also his other five lots over achieved being sold at above prices market price. From the Lamastus Family Estates, thank you to everyone that supported the Panamanian specialty coffee industry.
