Time flies, and 2021 is already October. I suddenly realized we have less than 3 months left in the year.

As November approaches with deepening autumn, Panama will soon enter the dry season, and yes, the 2022 cosecha (harvest) will begin.

With the annual Best of Panama competition successfully concluded and this year's purchases and arrivals settled, we green coffee importers must now shift our focus to next year, though it may seem a bit early.

We advance each year's purchasing by maintaining daily close communication with the origin, collecting various information about whether the highly rated varieties of this season and those requested by customers can be secured in sufficient quantities with high quality next season, and whether harvesting and processing are proceeding smoothly.

Looking back, last year and this year, as you know, due to the impact of COVID and unexpected disasters caused by abnormal weather, the harvest was unusually small. With constant vigilance required from processing to local logistics, we were forced to make very strict purchasing decisions.

Under these circumstances, thanks to the extraordinary cooperation of each farm owner, we were able to import the highest quality and varied lots, focusing especially on traditional varieties that were said to be in short supply in Panama, as well as Geisha.

We will introduce this season's "first appearance" lots in order.

Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Catuai Washed 32S

Hacienda La Esmeralda

Catuai Washed Diamond Mountain 32S

This is a washed Catuai selected from the two representative farms harvested by the familiar Esmeralda: Jaramillo and Cañas Verdes.

To be honest, since we import early lots of Geisha's Private Collection and even more extreme secret lots from Special (by persistently begging) from this farm every year, we haven't paid much attention to these traditional varieties until now.

In fact, Diamond Mountain is a popular collection that sells out quickly early on, so when Ms. Rachel Peterson, whom we always rely on, offered, "For some reason, Diamond Mountain is the last one remaining this year," I felt a fresh sensation and decided to secure the rest in that momentum.

As for the intriguing content, even for D.M., with the endorsement of the impressive Ms. Rachel herself, there's a special feeling of a single origin (Catuai) rather than a blend.

This lot titled "Catuai Washed Diamond Mountain 32S" came with the following more detailed description:

"Catuai Diamond Mountain, Gonzalez lot, 3rd Harvest, Yeast Ferment Slow Dry"

It seems to be a Catuai harvested in the third round (3rd round) this season, with the lot name "Gonzalez," washed process, and dried slowly after fermentation (deliberately taking time).

Since last year, various farms in Panama have produced many wonderful varieties of Catuai and Caturra where processing emphasizes the cherry's original aroma and each farm's character (terroir) in a good way, giving a sense of evolution in the coffee flavor itself.

From this year, Esmeralda's Geisha has discontinued the "1500" grade, and only Private Collection or higher grades remain, meaning the overall quality has been upgraded. Similarly, traditional varieties are also being more selectively chosen, with their individual characteristics refined, improving overall quality.

I get the impression that the relentless improvement and practice that is the "specialty" of Rachel Peterson herself, who once said "Geisha brought innovation to us Panama coffee producers," and her family, has once again significantly distinguished the quality of conventional traditional varieties and given their brand a new dignity.

With its clearly unique character and impactful aroma unlike anything before, why not try this "new standard" that will allow you to experience and discover the outstanding quality and richness of Panama coffee's traditional varieties, different from Geisha?

※Esmeralda Catuai Washed Diamond Mountain 32S New Arrival 2021

We look forward to your orders via the inquiry form below.