Panama Janson Geisha Washed Lot 158

About Panama Janson Geisha Washed Lot 158

Arrived the very beginning of July 2023, in vacuum packed boxes, air shipped directly from the producer. This is a Direct Trade coffee and the first Geisha to arrive this season. Green tip Geisha, lot # 158. Barry (traveling with coffee friend Mike P) visited the Janson farm on May 18th where we were greeted by Jannette Janson and then proceeded to cup several tables of Geisha in various preparations as well as a couple of Pacamara coffees.  Overall the quality was very good and we wound buying our two favorites, one Geisha Washed - this lot - and one Geisha Natural we will offer in the future. We bought the entirety of this particular lot so it is exclusive to Willoughby's. We have only about 35 pounds up for grabs.  Other terrific geisha coffees will soon be here too.

While we were familiar with Janson coffee for years, this was our first visit to the farm itself.  After cupping we were taken for a spin around the beautifully kept property by Michael Janson and got to see coffees trees that were exceedingly healthy looking.  There are two adjacent properties where Janson produces coffee, one called Hacienda and the other Los Alpes.  Both of the coffees we bought were from the higher Los Alpes property.  Our visit was in advance of the 2023 Best of Panama.  It is noteworthy that Janson Geisha coffees made to the coveted top 8 winners in both Geisha Washed and Natural categories.  In the Geisha washed category they took 5th place and in the Geisha Natural category 3rd place, the latter with a score of 94.50 points. Both of these coffees were likewise from the Los Alpes lot.  This is a big accomplishment as the competition, scores and resulting prices are really the highest on the planet these days.

This lot had an usual preparation as anaerobic isolation is more commonly associated with Natural processed coffee.  In this case, the coffee cherries were depulped meaning the outer skin was removed in order to expose the pulp of flesh of the fruit. Than, the depulped cherries were placed in sealed tanks for 96 hours where they fermented in an air free environment and during which time some juice from the pulp contributed fruit flavors penetrating to the beans within.  Once out of the tank they were fully washed and the coffee beans in their parchment husks were spread out on patios to sun dry for 5 days, being turned throughout each day for even drying.

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 this 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:

• 2023 Geisha Natural - 3rd Place
• 2023 Geisha Natural - 3rd Plac
• 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

Small Geisha trees in the nursery

Michael Janson showing off one of the prized Geisha trees

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 158
• Crop Year: Harvest date: January 31, 2023
  
• Variety: Green Tip Geisha
• Process: Anaerobic Washed, 96 hrs
• Drying method: Dried on Patio 5 days
• Elevation: 1,700 meters
• Growing Region: Tizingal, Panama Highlands