History & Origins
The lands that make up Hacienda La Esmeralda were first brought together as a single estate by a Swede named Hans Elliot in 1940.
This family-run farm, established in 1967 by Rudolph Peterson, has over 50 years of coffee cultivation excellence on its rich volcanic slopes.
By 1975 the Petersons had switched the farms over to dairy cattle which performed quite well and continues to make up half of Esmeralda’s farm land today.
In the mid- 80s, the family was looking to further diversify and coffee, with its rich production history in the Boquete region, was a perfect opportunity. It was this huge reservoir of coffee knowledge and culture that helped the Petersons redevelop much of their land for coffee farming and even make their first coffee farm expansion at Palmira in 1988.
The farm’s trajectory changed fundamentally in 1997 when they purchased a high-altitude plot on Volcán Barú (Jaramillo farm) specifically to cultivate livelier, nuanced coffees. The defining moment came in 2004 when Daniel Peterson noticed that the Geisha trees had not been hurt as badly, so they decided to plant Geisha on more parts of the farm, including in sections above 1650 meters above sea level, higher than Geisha had been planted before. It was this high-altitude planting of Geisha coffee that helped set in motion the events of 2004, when Geisha’s amazing aromatics first became clear.
Hacienda La Esmeralda went on to win the 2004 Best of Panama competition with their Geisha coffee, and that year set a record for the highest price ever paid for a coffee at auction.
More than two decades later, Hacienda La Esmeralda is still dominating the industry, even achieving a historic “triple crown” victory at the 2025 Best of Panama competition.
Esmeralda is the estate that reintroduced Geisha to the world in 2004, and in 2025 it completed a rare clean sweep at Best of Panama with first place in Geisha Washed, Geisha Natural, and Varietal. The win fed into record-setting auctions, including a Washed Geisha that sold for US$30,204 per kilogram (about AU$46,304) to Julith Coffee in Dubai, while JD.com secured the Natural.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
The estate is based in the province of Chiriqui in South-West Panama. This area has a mountainous topography, producing various microclimates which have a distinct influence on the coffee beans profile.
Nurtured in the volcanic soils of Boquete and sprinkled with mists of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, this is the exceptional Esmeralda Geisha.
The fairly cool weather and recurrent mists slow down the ripening of the coffee cherries, yielding a denser and more flavourful bean.
The estate operates four distinct farms across varying elevations. On the slopes of the majestic Volcán Baru, Cañas Verdes is part of the original Peterson holdings since 1967. Cañas Verdes has a distinct three to four months dry season, producing balanced and fruity Geisha microlots with structured acidity and a high complexity in the cup.
El Velo is the newest of Hacienda La Esmeralda’s farms, since 2012. On a slightly sloping terrain, this 50-hectare farm is neatly divided into rows and organized into different producing areas. The farm is planted with Geisha variety, as well as other exotic varieties like Laurina, Pacamara and SL-34, along with some 400+ other coffee accessions as part of a long-term exploration of high quality cup, disease resistance and commercial viability.
They plant Geisha primarily above 1,500 metres for optimal flavour development with Esmeralda Special Geisha is a collection of high elevation Geisha microlots (+1,950 masl) representing the pinnacle of their production. Over 400 different accessions (or sub-varieties) have been planted in the high altitudes of El Velo, Hacienda La Esmeralda’s newest farm. The hope is that by carefully planting a high altitude environment with many seeds, some from the same germbanks that originated Geisha, other interesting and exciting combinations of variety and microclimate may be found.
Processing & Production
The farm has four farms, uses no pesticides, and only hand-picks fully ripe coffee beans, with meticulous care taken in the post-harvest refining and drying process.
Harvesting is the challenging art of picking just the ripest coffee cherries from the coffee trees, while making sure not to disturb any under-ripe cherries that have not yet developed their full flavor potential. This attention to detail requires concentration and commitment from our pickers.
The higher sales prices for Esmeralda Geisha coffees, allow us to pay our harvesters three times the going salary for harvesters, which ensures that their livelihood is sustainable and encourages them to meet our quality standards in harvesting.
Post-harvest processing varies by method and has evolved significantly. Washed Coffees: After de-pulping, the remaining coffee sits in holding tanks and ferments for 24 hours, before being put to dry in the morning. Natural Coffees: During drying, a natural fermentation process occurs. The farm has pioneered innovative fermentation techniques: Inoculated fermentation is a more controlled fermentation process in which selected yeasts are used in coffee fermentation in order to add cup complexity and enhance flavors and aromatics.
Anaerobic fermentation is a process in which coffee cherries are fermented in a closed container with carbon dioxide (CO2), creating an anaerobic (oxygen free) environment.
On our most recent visit, in April 2023, our green coffee buyer was impressed by the Petersons’ continued spirit of experimentation. They are testing 32 different processes, including combinations of fermentations, yeast inoculations, and drying techniques. Working with a local university, they have begun isolating and culturing native yeasts found at their farms and on coffee cherries, including different genera such as Pichia, Candida, and Saccharomyces.
They’ve developed climate-controlled processing methods to preserve delicate floral notes with typical drying periods extending 46 days of drying on raised beds in a climate-controlled, dehumidified room at 16°C, ensuring the highest quality.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Geisha’s perfumy nature, filled with intense jasmine florals and delicate notes of stone fruits, not only enamored the coffee world but set a precedent for future Geisha appraisal.
the explosion of juicy brightness and multi-layered aromatics in a high-altitude Geisha coffee were more reminiscent of a coffee from Ethiopia then Latin America. The signature profile features notes of peach, pomegranate, cherry liquor and jasmine with variations across different lots and processing methods.
The estate’s washed Geishas typically display notes of apricot, gardenia, and cantaloupe with quintessential citrus and floral notes and juicy, sweet flavour that make Panama Geisha a world-famous coffee. Natural processed lots reveal different characteristics, such as notes of strawberry, ruby red grapefruit, and hibiscus or aromatic complexity, with notes of jasmine, plums, grapes, rose tea, cranberries, and cacao. The farm’s experimental varieties expand the flavor spectrum: Laurina—also known as Bourbon Pointu—is a naturally low-caffeine coffee prized for its delicate sweetness, citrusy brightness, and silky texture.
Grown at approximately 1,850 meters above sea level, these beans possess extremely complex aromatics and flavours, and are the gold standard for the highly coveted Panamanian Geisha coffee. The consistent excellence stems from their selection process prioritises intense florality, supported by good mouthfeel and sweetness combined with meticulous attention to terroir expression and processing precision that has defined Esmeralda’s reputation for over two decades.