Thumbnail Filmstrip of Panama Janson Geisha Natural Images

About Panama Janson Geisha Natural

Arrived November 2022, in vacuum packed boxes, airfreighted to us directly from the producer. This is a Direct Trade coffee. Green tip Geisha, lot # 893.

The two principal coffee centers in the Panama Highlands are Boquete and Volcan. They are each on a different facing of the Baru Volcano which is the focal point of the landscape and which provides rich soils and micro-climates ideal for growing coffee - especially Geisha coffee. The Janson Family farm is in Volcan, the area closest to the border with Costa Rica. In addition to Janson, other notable coffee farms close by are Fincas Auromar, Hartmann and Bambito, to name but a few. Janson has been producing coffee since 1990 though the farm's origin dates back to 1926 when their Swedish ancestors settled here and began to work a dairy farm. With a nod to their Swedish heritage, the highest coffee growing parts of the farm are the "Alpes" area, where Geisha is planted. We work mostly with second generation Kai Janson, who we have known for many years. Kai lives part of the year in Panama and part in the US. But Panama is where he is now spending more and more time helping to develop new flavors from the various cultivars grown on the family farm.

Janson always had solid, reliably good coffee. In the most recent decade they began growing more varieties and have garnered a bunch of awards, mostly for their Pacamara and their delightful Geisha. They have also been experimental with processing, now offering a range of flavor profiles from mild and balanced, to deeply intense naturals with many traits in between. Barry, from Roastmasters saw Kai in August while participating in the 2022 Best of Panama as a judge, the first in person such event since 2019. Following the event we received a large number of samples and were most struck this particular lot, number 893 which really popped out at us. It has power, lots of it, but not in an overpowering way. Balancing natural processing with Geisha's native floral and fruit flavors takes skill. Too much processing and the coffee's inherent flavors get lost, but just the right amount and how deftly it's done, can enhance those very same flavors and make them pop. That is the case with this coffee.

Janson Awards:

2020 Pacamara Natural - 1st Place
2019 Geisha Natural - 2nd Place
2018 Geisha Natural - 7th Place
2018 Geisha Washed - 3rd Place
2016 Geisha Natural - 3rd Place
2016 Geisha Natural - 3rd Place

In addition to the above awards, the Brewer's Cup competion is held in multiple countries before a final in Australia. The first place winners of the Brewer's Cup in France was using Janson Geisha; in the UK both the first and second place winners offered Janson Geisha.

The 2022 crop was small most places in Central America. In Panama crop yields were half their normal amount to unseasonably heavy rain during the time when coffee trees flower. The rain washed away flowers, each flower being where a coffee cherry will grow. Despite the small crop the quality here and elsewhere remained high. In a normal year there is barely enough top Geisha to go around but with only half available prices increased and loyal buyers, like us, were offered coffee ahead of others.

coffee sun drying on patio at Janson Coffee Farm

Patio drying at Finca Janson

ripe coffee cherries at Janson Coffee Farm

Geisha coffee cherries in the Janson Alpes

Geisha is a seed variety native to Ethiopia and probably a relative of the Longberry, with a somewhat large and elongated shape. This seed was experimentally planted in Boquete Panama along with many other varieties as a test of what might grow well in this particular micro climate. The result was the birth of a superstar in the world of coffee. Originally planted and brought to celebrity by the Peterson family of Hacienda Esmeralda, this variety started to break price records and the reputation and market for this coffee continues to grow.

Producer Name: Janson Coffee Farm
Coffee Name: Alpes lot 893
Crop Year: Harvest date: February 07, 2022
Variety: Green Tip Geisha
Process: Natural Fermentation 96 hrs
Drying method: Dried on Patio & raised beds -13 days
Elevation: 1,700 meters
Growing Region: Tizingal, Panama Highlands

Cup Characteristics: Mandarin orange, bergamot, intense flavor but cleanly done allowing tropical fruit flavors to come through, notably pineapple. Juicy, syrupy. Typical jasmine with orange zest and sweet florals. A clean, sweet natural that packs a punch.

Roasting Notes: Geisha coffees have delicate floral and fruit qualities that get lost when roasting too dark. Likewise, roasting them too light will produce a watery brew unless you use considerably more coffee to water ratio. The object is to have a full first crack and extend the development time to as much as 90 seconds, but how to do that varies widely depending upon the roaster being used. By all means avoid going into second crack. This roasting method maximizes the variety's nuances, in this case the sweet acidity and floral Geisha notes that further roasting will diminish. Please note, this coffee throws off a good deal of chaff during roasting. If you're roasting on a Behmor keep the roast size under half pound and avoid opening the door.