If you plan on travelling through Panama, an absolute must is to try the world-famous Geisha coffee of the Boquete Highlands. Geisha coffee is a variety of coffee bean that was originally cultivated by farmers from North America and Europe who discovered that certain climates of Costa Rica and Panama offered the perfect conditions for growing coffee. Today, the most famous producer of Geisha coffee is Hacienda La Esmeralda, an award-winning family-owned plantation that sits on the slopes of Panama’s largest volcano. This variety of coffee bean has a high caffeine content and unique acidic and floral flavor. Apparently a cup of this coffee can cost more than $60 in Dubai and has been sold for over $600 per pound. And while the coffee plantations around Boquete sell Geisha for considerably cheaper than that, a pound of authentic Geisha coffee is always going to cost you more than a pound of Folgers or Nescafe. Costco actually sells 2 pound bags of Geisha coffee online and at some of its physical locations for $42.99. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, it would be a shame to brew it the wrong way and have it turn out tasting the same as a cup of gas station coffee. So, here is your all-inclusive guide on how to brew Geisha coffee, the right way:
Store Your Coffee Beans Properly
If you’re used to buying less-than-great coffee, you probably don’t think much about how you store your coffee. But the fact is, over time, improperly stored coffee beans become stale and lose flavor. If you’re going to buy premium Geisha coffee, it is important that you store it properly. Vacuum-sealed containers are the very best option, but can often be on the more expensive side. Mason jars are a great low-cost way to store your coffee beans and ensure that they will be fresh and fragrant far into the future.
Grind with Care
Many people take for granted how much the way you grind your coffee beans can affect the taste of your final brew. The coarseness of your grinds should depend on how you intend to brew your Geisha coffee. If you are going to use a French press or the percolator method of brewing, more coarse coffee grounds are preferable. If you are planning to make espresso or use the filter brewing method, fine coffee grounds are the way to go. For vacuum or drip coffee makers, you want your coffee grounds to be somewhere in the middle of coarse and fine.
Blade grinders often chop up your coffee beans unevenly, so I would recommend using a hand grinder or a burr grinder. If you are looking for time-efficiency and willing to spend a little extra money, burr grinders will grind your coffee beans evenly with just the push of a button. If you want to save some cash and don’t mind getting a little arm workout before your morning brew, hand grinders are cheap and give you complete control over the coarseness of your coffee grounds.
Pay Attention to You Water to Coffee Ratio
What’s the point of buying nice coffee if it’s just going to taste like water anyway? To truly appreciate the flavor and aroma of Geisha coffee, it is important to use the right amount of water when you are brewing it. In my opinion, the best water to coffee ratio is somewhere around 1 part coffee to 20 parts water. That means if you are brewing 300 mL of coffee, you should be using around 15 grams of coffee grounds. If you prefer your coffee a little stronger or a little weaker, you can adjust this ratio accordingly so you can enjoy your Geisha coffee the way you like it. Weighing out coffee grounds may seem a bit excessive, but the right water to coffee ratio can make all the difference when brewing premium coffee.
Don’t Burn Your Coffee
If you are using an automated coffee maker that heats your water for you, you don’t have to worry about this. But if you are using a manual brewing method, such as a French press, make absolutely sure to be patient when adding water to your coffee grounds. Maybe you are in a rush to get to work in the morning, or simply excited to taste the fresh new bag of Geisha coffee you just bought, but make sure that you take the time to add water to your coffee when it’s at the right temperature. After boiling your water, wait a few seconds for it to cool down before pouring it over your coffee grounds. If you add the water when it’s too hot, it will leave your Geisha coffee with a bitter burnt aftertaste. If you add the water when it’s too cold, you won’t extract all of the aromatic floral flavor that Geisha coffee offers.
Use Filtered Water
Impurities in the water you use to brew your coffee can take away from the flavor of the coffee. To properly enjoy your Geisha coffee, make sure your water is as pure as possible. If you don’t have a water filtration system installed in your home, companies such Brita and Aquagear make filtered water pitchers that are relatively inexpensive.
Let the Flavor Speak for Itself
While obviously not everyone prefers to drink their coffee black, I recommend not drowning out the flavor of your Geisha coffee with milk or creamer. If you’re buying coffee with as rich a flavor profile as Geisha, you want to let those flavors speak for themselves. Do your best to appreciate the subtle acidity, the floral aroma, and the notes of citrus and honey that give it one of the most unique flavor profiles of any of the world’s coffee varieties.
If you’re not in Central America but still want to try some authentic Geisha coffee from the Boquete Highlands, here are some online vendors who will ship it directly to your door:
Costco: (https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-panama-geisha-coffee%2C-2-lbs..product.100162341.html)
Hayman:
(https://www.haymancoffee.com/products/panama-geisha-coffee)