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Thumbnail Filmstrip of Panama Mi Finquita Geisha Natural Images
About Panama Mi Finquita Geisha Natural
Another of our top coffees of the year and another Geisha Natural. Like some of our other selections, this is direct trade coffee selected at the farm and it arrived directly via airfreight in vacuum bags.
Mi Finquita is owned by Ratibor and Tessie Hartman. They live on the Hartman family estate located in Volcan, Panama, very close to the border with Costa Rica. Panama has two top coffee locations, each on one side of the Baru Volcano, Volcan and Boquete. Volcan producers include Ninety Plus, Garrido, Mount Totumas, Finca Janson, Finca Auromar, Los Cenizos, Carmen Estate and other notable coffee producers, all of which produce Geisha among other varieties. Mi Finquita Geisha comes from a couple of planted lots with the top lots coming from Los Pozos, a 1900 meter, south facing farm. It is located near the Mt Totumas Cloud Forest.
Ratibor and Tessie Hartman have won many awards for quality.
Ratibor Hartman in the cupping lab on the property.
We cupped some tables of top Geisha coffees at the farm on May 31, 2025. One in particular jumped out at us and we wound up buying it. The Hartmann's own descriptors of this coffee include: tropical dried fruit, stone fruit, citrus, berry-like and sweetness traits of honey and caramel. Our own observations were a preponderance of florals, lavender and citrus as well.
- Producer: Ratibor and Tessie Hartman
- Farm: Mi Finquita
- Variety: Geisha
- Process: Natural with 24 hours of 'balloon' fermentation
- Province: Chiriqui
- Region: Volcan
- Sub-region: Tierras Altas
- Plot: Los Pozos
- Elevation: 1,900 meters
After pulping, the coffee spent 24 hours in what Ratibor calls a "balloon". It is large glass vessel, loosely shaped like an upside-down balloon, in which the coffee sits in its own juices. Any gases that build up while fermenting can escape through a one-way valve. This processes deepens some of the flavors, but due to the limited time there, the processing is not overly intensified, but simply enhanced. Ratibor is a skilled producer who knows how to finesse flavors from ripe, properly grown coffee fruit; he is also good cupper.
Coffee fermenting in the "balloon".
Cup Characteristics: Very floral and filled with jasmine in aroma that stands out as powerfully in the cup. Lots of lavender, magnolia and bright citrus notes in the finish. A layered, sophisticated Geisha showing off a particular terroir in the clouds.
Roasting Notes: Our preferred roasting range for this coffee is midway between 1st and 2nd crack. The delicate qualities will be present throughout this range, with lighter variations highlighting piquancy and citrus notes, while Full City levels will enhance body. Keep in mind that natural processed coffees tend to roast a little quicker than washed, and plan your roast accordingly.
