Panama — Peterson Family Hacienda La Esmeralda Noria Gesha (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🌸 Honeysuckle • 🌺 Jasmine • 🍑 White Peach • 🍊 Mandarin

DETAILS

• Producer: Peterson Family
• Farm: Jaramillo — Noria Lot (Hacienda La Esmeralda)
• Region: Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama
• Varietal: Gesha
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,700 MASL

INTRO

From the Noria lot on Jaramillo farm — part of the legendary Hacienda La Esmeralda estate in Boquete, the farm that introduced Gesha to the world in 2004 and forever changed the ceiling of what specialty coffee could be. An elegant and complex washed Gesha that reflects the full essence of what La Esmeralda does best. In the cup: honeysuckle, jasmine, white peach, and mandarin.

THE PRODUCER

Hacienda La Esmeralda was first purchased as a retirement venture by Rudolph Peterson in 1967, with the land around Boquete initially used for cattle before transitioning to coffee production. In 2004, the Peterson family entered their Gesha from Jaramillo farm into the Best of Panama competition — and won, setting the highest price ever paid for coffee at auction and introducing a variety that would go on to transform the entire specialty coffee industry.

The Noria lot sits on Jaramillo farm on the edge of the Baru Volcano, where high altitude, cool evening temperatures, volcanic soil, and massive shade trees provide the ideal conditions for Gesha to express its hallmark florality and delicate complexity. Jaramillo elevates from rolling hills on its lower sections to steep 40-degree inclines higher up, making harvesting an entirely manual affair and ensuring only the most committed and careful picking reaches the mill. The farm is currently managed by Rachel Peterson and her daughter Alexandra — the fourth generation of the family to steward this extraordinary estate.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Jaramillo involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Gesha cherries carefully harvested by hand on the steep slopes of Jaramillo 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed at the mill after harvest 🧪 Fermentation — Beans fermented to break down remaining mucilage 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove all fermentation residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried slowly on raised beds to optimal moisture content

The meticulous hand-harvesting on steep terrain and thorough washed processing are the defining steps — by removing all fruit influence and processing with precision, the Peterson family allow the extraordinary terroir of the Noria lot and the Gesha variety's intrinsic character to express themselves with full transparency and elegance.

THE CUP

A pristine and deeply elegant washed Gesha from the lot that helped put Panamanian coffee on the world map — honeysuckle and jasmine florality of exceptional delicacy, white peach sweetness, and a bright mandarin finish that speaks clearly of the volcanic terroir and the generational expertise behind every cup. Hacienda La Esmeralda at its most timeless.

Flavour Notes

🌸 Honeysuckle 🌺 Jasmine 🍑 White Peach 🍊 Mandarin