This luscious microlot introduces itself with aromas of hyacinth, peach, and nutmeg. We found flavors of fresh blueberry, nectarine, and grapefruit in the cup, accompanied by a silky body. Lively orange zest acidity mellows into a layered finish of cashew and a touch of green tea.

Our roast of last year's harvest received 95 Points from Coffee Review last October!

Available whole bean in an 8 oz Blue Label tube, 8 oz pouch, or 4 oz pouch. This coffee roasts and ships on Tuesdays only—you must order by 4PM CT Monday to be included in Tuesday's roast.

Details

Producer: Hacienda La Esmeralda
Farm: Jaramillo
Region: Jaramillo, Panama
Altitude: 5,578 feet | 1,700 masl
Varietal: Gesha
Process: Natural
Roast: Light-Medium
Notes: Blueberry, Hyacinth, Nectarine

The Story

The Buenos Aires microlot is grown at one of the highest elevations at Hacienda La Esmeralda's Jaramillo farm. With cool temperatures, high humidity, and massive shade trees that have been standing for ages, Jaramillo is the perfect location for making the aromatics of the gesha variety sing. The farm jumps from rolling hills on its lower part to steep 40-degree inclines higher up, making harvesting a manual and challenging affair.

As many as 15 sub-varieties of hybrids from Costa Rica and Brazil had been planted on lower parts of the farm, until the Peterson family decided to plant higher up in 1997.

Harvesting

Due to the high premium these coffees garner during auction, Hacienda La Esmeralda is able to pay its harvesters three times the typical wage, ensuring a good standard of living as well as the highest quality work.

By carefully dividing each lot as it is picked, specific clusters of trees are targeted during the harvest, building unique microlots for the most quality-conscious buyers.

Natural Process

During the natural process, harvested coffee goes directly to a patio to dry. The fruit of the cherry slowly dries out with the coffee bean itself still inside, infusing the bean with fruit and aromatic notes that carry through all the way to the cup.

Depending on the weather and the composition of the lot, the coffee will dry for 3 to 5 days on the concrete patio (8 hours per day).

Drying + Milling

After it has dried sufficiently, the lot is rotated into a Guardiola dryer for 72 hours to round out the drying process and prevent unwanted fermentation. Once drying is complete, the coffee beans are mechanically separated from the remaining fruit material.

After the coffee is removed from the patio, it is stored in nylon grain bags to rest between 30 and 45 days. This “reposo” period helps to stabilize the enzymes in the bean.

A week prior to shipment, the coffee is hulled to remove the parchment layer, then sorted by size, density, and color to create consistent nanolots. Finally, coffee is vacuum sealed in GrainPro bags and shipped to the winning bidder.

Direct Trade

Hacienda La Esmeralda's industry-leading environmental sustainability practices and support for employees and their families have made us proud to partner with the Peterson family for many years. Learn more on their website.

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This coffee will be produced once a week, on Tuesdays. You must order by 4PM CT on Monday to be included in Tuesday's roast. All coffee and merchandise in your order will be produced and shipped on the same day unless you specify otherwise in the Order Notes section of your shopping cart. Please see our Shipping FAQs for more details.