Panama Esmerelda Gesha, 2007 Vintage

I decided to go upscale for my Halloween roasting session. In 2008, I purchased two kinds of Panama Esmerelda; the Lot #5, previously discussed, and the more expensive Lot#10. I was originally planning to roast Lot#10, but I decided to try my chops on the last of my Esmerelda stash from 2007 first. This stuff is ferociously expensive, so I wanted to make sure I didn't dork it up.

The roast was more or less what I have been using lately:



I was shooting for a City+ roast (roughly half way between first and second crack), but this came out considerably lighter than I was expecting. Grinding the beans I was somewhat taken aback on how light it was. As an aside, it is hard to tell much of anything from whole bean color after roasting, you really need to look at the color of the ground stuff.

It is a testament to the quality of the beans that even at this light a roast, there was no sourness. There is the usual Gesha panoply of aromas - over the top floral characteristics - and typical juicy notes to the coffee. However, I missed the caramel notes that fit everything together. Another minute of heat would have been perfect in retrospect. Looking back through my notes of Gesha roasting over the years, I see that they tend to take a bit more roast than other coffees to hit the right flavor balance. Surely nothing near second crack, but a bit of time spent after first. This was certainly an enjoyable cup, but nothing to write home about. Given the price point, it is unfortunate. At least I am prepared for roasting Lot #10.

Panama Esmerelda Gesha, Lot 5

THE. MOST. EXPENSIVE. COFFEE. IN. THE. WORLD.

That got your attention, didn't it? Sorry to let you down, but I am not willing to spend over a $100 on a pound of green coffee beans. Also, don't forget that you lose about 20% of the mass of the beans after roasting....

Panama's Esmerelda gesha coffee is the most acclaimed and pricey coffee on the planet. The last two years have seen the prices skyrocket to stratospheric heights. Is it worth it? That depends. Is it great coffee? Yes, indeed it is.

Luckily, the folks that produce the coffee separate lots out from different areas of their farm, and there are "bargains" to be found beside the auction lots that go for serious cash. Last year I had some of the non-auction Esmerelda coffee, and this year I picked up two of the less expensive lots. These are still not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, being two or three times as expensive as other high quality microlots of coffee.

This coffee cultivar, gesha, is originally of Ethiopian origin. Those familiar with this blog and those coffees, know that these beans can produce some very exotic fruit and flower tastes. Combine that with the terroir of Central America, and you have an unusual coffee. It has great acidity, and incredibly powerful aromas of wildflowers and tropical fruits.

This time around I started with the "cheaper" lot, a mere $10 or so a pound. This is a coffee you definitely want nowhere near second crack, so I decided to ramp up slowly to first crack. Here is the profile:

The result was a rare "wow" reaction after trying this 12 hours post-roast in a vacuum pot. From the moment you grind this stuff, it just fills the room with intense jasmine and exotic flower aromas. In the cup, it is juicy, juicy, juicy. Great acidity, tons of clean tropical fruit, and caramel. The finish is unique; there is a menthol/cooling sensation going on, perhaps citrus zest or something similar. Awesome stuff.

If there is any drawback at all, I feel this coffee fades faster than others. On subsequent days, the flowery notes fade and the caramel tones come more front and center. Still enjoyable, but not as legendary as the first day.

I was really happy with this roast; it will be a good starting point when I eventually get around to roasting the more expensive sister lot I have.

Panama Bambito Estate

Panama produces some great coffee, and some wickedly overpriced ones as well. The most famous coffee of all, Esmerelda Gesha, has gone for well over $100 a pound for the past few years. Yes it is very good, but not worth the price in my opinion.

Bambito Estate is one of those coffees I thought I was really going to like based on the description and the enthusiasm of the folks at Sweet Marias, but I really hate this stuff. Unfortunately I bought several pounds together with an order of other (excellent) Panama coffees last year, so I am stuck with it.

This one got a gentle roast, looking for a light Full City level:

And the taste in the cup? Well, lets see. The smell, I mean aroma, is fairly nondescript. Some flowers, spice, etc. The first thing that hits your mouth? Barbecue sauce. Yeah, you know - ketchupy, smoky, salty. This is followed by some unpleasant brothy notes, and eventually settles down into a sludgy aftertaste. Mmmm, I am really selling it now, aren't I?

I suppose I just may be mangling this coffee during roasting, or my skills are insufficient to bring out its true character, but I don't think so. Perhaps roasting it darker might help as well. In any case, I'll take a big ole' pass on Bambito next time around.