PANAMA, LA ESMERALDA
100% Gesha
Boquete, Chiriqui
Rainforest Alliance Certified

At this year's Best of Panama competition in Bouquete, FGC's Phil Anacker, gave this Panama Esmeralda a score of 97 points, the highest score he's ever given a coffee. The rest of the international jury was no less awed by this coffee, awarding it the first place prize for the fourth year in a row. Everyone admitted that the competition was unfair, however, because the cupping was in no way "blind." Among the 50 excellent coffees that were
tasted in the carefully controlled competition, the seductive aroma and distinctive flavor of the Esmeralda gave itself away at every table. This coffee is that remarkable.

La Esmeralda is produced from the rare Gesha tree, an Arabica variety exported from the wild coffee forests of Ethiopia in 1938 and recently re-discovered high on the hillsides of the Peterson family hacienda in
Boquete, Panama. Price Peterson and his family have been farming coffee and dairy cows on the slopes of Mt. Baru since the early 70s. In 1996, Price's son Daniel, discovered Gesha among the many varieties growing on the farm and decided to harvest and mill it separately. When they finally tasted it, they knew they had discovered something out of the ordinary; the gesha phenomenon has been electrifying the specialty coffee world ever since,
winning first place in every competition in which it has been entered (the 2007 Best of Panama lot was auctioned for a record price of $132 per pound!). Inspired by the potential of this coffee, many farmers have begun
to plant it throughout Central America. It remains to be seen, however, whether anyone will have the success with this temperamental cultivar that has graced the Peterson Hacienda. All the variables must be right for this
coffee to flourish: altitude, soil, rainfall, shade and climate must all conspire perfectly. Equally important are the farming practices used for Gesha. Here, the Petersons deserve enormous credit for their research and
experimentation, careful cultivation, selective harvesting and meticulous processing (which includes thorough drying to exactly 12% moisture and up to 60 days of "reposo" in the warehouse). The entire Peterson farm is also
certified by Rainforest Alliance, a third party certifier that works to ensure biodiversity and sustainable agribusiness.

We apply a light roast to the La Esmeralda. Anything beyond this would obscure the extraordinary aroma and flavor of this coffee. The dry fragrance -- just after grinding -- is a special treat (Phil's cupping comments at the Best of Panama competition included "raspberry sweet tarts"!). The wet aroma gives off jasmine and ripe berry fruit. The flavor is supremely clean and sweet, with a silky mouthfeel and bright notes of candied lemon, cherry and cherimoya fruit. We suggest using a French Press or Vacuum pot to brew Esmeralda, as paper filters will hold back too much of the flavorful oils.

Ordering Notes: We will roast and ship the Esmeralda on Mondays only. If your order includes additional coffees we will hold the entire order to be shipped with the Esmeralda, unless clearly specified otherwise. We package Esmeralda in half pounds only.

$14.95 per 1/2 lb (whole bean only).