Welcome, reader, to the Jewel Coffee blog.
This blog aims to share what we love about coffee, its flavor, the people who produce the coffees we love at origin, industry updates, and also the people who make and serve the coffee in our outlets.
So, to start you off in our journey together, I will talk about a very special coffee – the Best of Panama Finca La Mula Geisha.
In 2007 I tasted the unique Geisha varietal, and experienced the incredible qualities of this coffee – floral, bergamot, plum, lemongrass, mandarin, peach, lychee. The coffee assaulted my sense of smell and taste and left a vivid taste memory. Ever since, I have always looked out for Geisha coffees.
Panama Finca La Mula
It was also in 2007 that a certain Willem Boot undertook one of his many Geisha projects, the planting of his own farm – Panama Finca La Mula – with 6500 Geisha varietals. He is also involved in Geisha projects at Finca Sophia in Panama, and the Gesha Village Coffee Estate in Ethiopia.
The location of the farm at the unique terroir of Baru volcano in Panama Chiriqui at 1800 meters above sea level, coupled by Willem’s passion and focus on high quality, plus the expertise of farm manager Kelly Hartmann, resulted in an award-winning coffee in Best of Panama 2015.
Reaping the harvest
Jewel Coffee has featured Best of Panama Finca La Mula for 2 years running, and we are delighted to have it back again.
This year, Lot #10 was procured from Willem Boot. This lot was prepared with a special washed processing style. Before the pulping of cherries, a maceration process was done by soaking the cherries in slightly preheated water. After 12 hours, the cherries were pulped and cleaned through a demucilage process. The drying took up to 17 days. Because of the maceration of the cherries, a mild form of fermentation took place, which created a slight fruity aftertaste, enhancing the unique flavor notes of the La Mula Geisha.
Expect this cup to be heavy on the floral aromatics, a deep and sweet acidity liking to mandarin oranges and a lychee aftertaste that dances on the tongue.
Key Farm Information
- Location: Panama, Chiriqui, Portrerillas Arriba
- Location: Southern slopes of the Baru volcano
- Varietals: Green and Bronze tip Geisha, Dwarf Geisha
- Altitude: 1700 to 1800 meters above sea level
Sustainable Practices
- Insecticides and herbicides are banned from use on the farm
- Dense primary and secondary old growth trees
- Clouds forests provide natural shade throughout the year; lower temperatures leads to slower maturation of the coffee cherries
- Water on the farm is used only for consumption; coffee is processed at the nearby Finca Hartmann
- Finca La Mula pays workers well above the Panamanian minimum wage and includes added premiums for health care and other social benefits. The two workers employed on the farm live year round on the property and are given food packages during the year for added health benefit. Health care is provided as needed.