Janson Los Alpes 26-179 Gesha Washed | Panama

Panama — Janson Family Hacienda Los Alpes Lot 26-179 Green Tip Gesha (Anaerobic Washed)

Tastes Like — 🌸 Jasmine • 🍵 Sencha • 🍐 Pear • 🌺 Orange Blossom • 🍋 Lime

DETAILS

• Producer: Janson Family
• Farm: Hacienda Los Alpes
• Region: Volcán, Chiriquí, Panama
• Varietal: Green Tip Gesha
• Process: Anaerobic Washed (72hr + 6-Day Raised-Bed Drying)
• Altitude: 1,700 MASL
• Lot: 26-179
• Size: 100g

INTRO

Hand-selected by Datura during a two-day visit to Janson Farm — Lot 26-179 from Los Alpes, their favourite expression of the farm. In blind cuppings, the coffees from the Los Alpes area consistently stand out, and the washed lots are beloved by Datura for their delicate green tea character and intense floral expression. One of three lots secured from a challenging harvest year with lower-than-usual yields. In the cup: jasmine, sencha, pear, orange blossom, and lime.

THE PRODUCER

Carl Axel Janson left Sweden in 1926, arriving in Panama and finding in the Chiriquí Highlands a landscape that reminded him of home. He established Hacienda Los Alpes — named after the Swiss Alps — in 1941, beginning with cattle before the land's coffee potential became clear. In 1990, his sons Carl, Michael, Ricardo, and Peter formally founded Janson Coffee, and the next generation — Kai, Janette, and Miguel — now leads the operation alongside them.

Los Alpes borders La Amistad International Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site stretching between Panama and Costa Rica. The farms are micromanaged in lots for traceability and quality control, with plantations separated by forests that serve as natural barriers against pests and protect the natural flora and fauna. Solar panels power the farm operations, and all excess processing material is repurposed as fuel or fertiliser.

Green Tip Gesha refers to the colour of new leaf growth on this particular phenotype — as opposed to the bronze-tipped type. Producers and buyers who have worked with both have consistently found the green-tipped plants to produce a more aromatic, floral cup. Janson cultivates this phenotype specifically, and at 1,700 MASL on the slopes of the Tizingal Volcano, it produces exactly that — florality, precision of acidity, and a taste that lingers.

THE PROCESS

The Anaerobic Washed process at Los Alpes involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Green Tip Gesha cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔒 72-hour anaerobic fermentation — Cherries fermented in sealed, oxygen-free conditions for 72 hours 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed after anaerobic fermentation 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove all fermentation residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds for 6 days to optimal moisture content

The 72-hour anaerobic fermentation followed by the short, focused raised-bed drying is the defining step — building the jasmine and orange blossom florality and pear sweetness that define this lot, while the brief 6-day drying preserves the delicate sencha green tea character and precise lime acidity that make Janson's Los Alpes washed lots so distinctively refined and lingering.

THE CUP

A hand-selected anaerobic washed Green Tip Gesha from one of Panama's most celebrated and historically grounded family estates — jasmine and orange blossom florality of exceptional delicacy, pear sweetness, a refined sencha green tea elegance, and a bright lime finish that lingers long into the close. Limited quantity from a challenging harvest year, and fully worth seeking out.

Flavour Notes

🌸 Jasmine 🍵 Sencha 🍐 Pear 🌺 Orange Blossom 🍋 Lime