Esmeralda, Panama

About this coffee

The farm that breaks records Quite possibly the most famous coffee farm in the world by modern standards, Hacienda La Esmeralda, famed for its multi award-winning coffees and setting many auction price records, is nestled high in the Boquete hills more or less straddling the active volcano and highest peak in Panama, Volcan Baru.

A view from the hills in Boquete, Panama

This particular coffee derives from the Palmira farm, which was the first piece of land the Peterson family purchased in 1967 and forms the centrepiece of the Hacienda La Esmeralda estate. Palmira specialises in the Catuai varietal which is indigenous to the region and well-loved for its nuanced brightness and clean cup.

All the coffee here is milled using the washed process, and all of the water used for milling is recycled. The farm, like all of those at Hacienda La Esmeralda, is certified by the Rainforest Alliance which aims to protect ecosystems, workers and local communities. Palmira farm coffee is branded 'Palmyra' on coffee sacks

This coffee is certainly punchy, even compared to the ubituitous Gesha that the farm is so well-known for, however, if you want to sample something similar to a Gesha without forking out serious wads of cash, try our current stock of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.