Panama — Kai Janson Janson Estate Geisha (Special Process Natural)

Tastes Like — 🍏 Floral Green Apple • 🥝 Kiwi • 🍉 Watermelon

DETAILS

• Producer: Kai Janson (descendant of Carl Axel Janson)
• Farm: Janson Estate
• Region: Chiriquí, Panama
• Varietal: Geisha
• Process: Special Process Natural, 48h Sealed Fermentation
• Years of Collaboration: 5

INTRO
Kai Janson has become one of the more famous Panamanian coffee producers over the last five years — Janson Estate is responsible for multiple Brewers Cup and Barista Championship winning coffees at the highest level, including Boram Um's 2023 World Barista Championship win, alongside back-to-back-to-back regional titles and multiple national podium finishes using Janson coffees. This Geisha is a true modern Panamanian expression — colourful and fun, balancing tart acidity with a vibrant, almost artificial sweetness. In the cup: floral green apple, kiwi, and watermelon.

THE PRODUCER
Founded in 1926, the farm has produced coffee for over a century, though Janson Coffee itself was established later by the grandchildren of Carl Axel Janson. The team has grown the community their farm supports over the years, establishing daycares for children while parents work the farm and investing in infrastructure across surrounding communities. A dedicated nursery focuses on reforesting the surrounding land and diversifying the genetics of native species, and the entire farm runs on power generated by 400 large solar panels, with excess material reused as fertiliser.

Panamanian Geisha is arguably the most famous coffee varietal in the world today, known for its floral and sweet profile — its existence is what gave rise to the premium coffee estates across Panama.

THE PROCESS
The coffee is fermented in sealed bags for 48 hours before moving to raised drying beds for the remainder of drying. This is what gives the coffee its distinctly fruity, rich flavour profile — the signature Janson Estate is known for, and distinctly different from classic washed Panamanian Geisha.

The 48-hour sealed fermentation is the defining step — it's what builds the tart, floral green apple and kiwi brightness up front, balanced by a refreshing watermelon sweetness that washes through the finish.

THE CUP
Colourful and fun — floral green apple and kiwi lead, bright and complex, with a tart florality that lingers just long enough before a refreshing watermelon sweetness takes over. Sticky texture, floral and sweet finish. A standout coffee with strong coffee-of-the-year potential.

Flavour Notes
🍏 Floral Green Apple 🥝 Kiwi 🍉 Watermelon