Despite being less frequently seen or mentioned than origins like Colombia, Ethiopia or Kenya, Panama occupies a unique place in the specialty coffee zeitgeist for one reason in particular: Geisha. Though this coveted coffee variety was first discovered in Ethiopia, it was in Panama in the early ‘00s that its incredible flavour potential was first truly discovered and it began its rapid ascent into celebrity status. Since then, Panama has become almost synonymous with the Geisha variety in the minds of coffee enthusiasts.

You can imagine our excitement then, when we found out that our friends at Cedar were releasing their first ever Panamanian Geisha. It's even more exciting given the Cedar founders' history. Leigh worked at Rosetta Roastery during a time when they released several Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha lots (the estate that put Geisha on the map) and Winston famously competed on the World Barista Championship stage with Ethiopian Geisha lots. These guys know their Geishas.

While this may be Cedar's first Panamanian Geisha, it's certainly not their first Panamanian release. Like its predecessors of other varieties that you may remember from last year, this lot was exported by K&R Specialty Coffee. K&R is a family-run Panamanian green coffee exporter whose stated purpose is to promote the specialty coffee of the Boquete region, the best-known of Panama’s three coffee growing regions. It strives to provide high-quality specialty Panamanian coffee to roasters around the world year-round, and is dedicated to “making the [Panamanian] specialty coffee industry a sustainable operation that generates wealth in the community.”

K&R maintains a close relationship with its partnered farmers, all of whom contribute collectively to many of its lots, and provides them with the resources and facilities to ensure the consistent production and export of fantastic Panamanian coffee.

This lot underwent a natural process, something the Ruiz family specialises in, as well as a process that is increasingly popular for specialty Geishas. This approach should balance the Geisha's typical floral notes and delicate cup profile with some extra sweetness and body.

Phaedon's tasting notes

There is so much to love in this coffee; I haven't enjoyed a sample bag this much in quite a long time. It was a great reminder to me about why there is so much excitement around Panamanian Geisha lots. This coffee is incredibly complex, and yet balanced in that it offers sweetness, body, aromatics, and acidity in perfect harmony. It was truly a treat to try it.

The first thing that struck me about this coffee when I brewed it was the combination of the floral notes and the fruity sweetness, as well as a zesty acidity, of the citrus variety. To my palate, this latter note was most reminiscent of naartjie, but your citric mileage may vary on that dimension. I also found a certain warmth and effervescence to it that reminded me of ginger in some cups. While I enjoyed it every way I brewed it, my siphon brew particularly wowed me; in that cup I clearly picked up a stone fruit finish to accompany the naartjie notes.

Cedar’s notes

“There is so much going on in this cup. It hits you with this floral aroma on espresso with notes of peach and lemon candy leaving you with this lingering sweetness. On filter its delicate with sweet notes of peach and lime cordial with a juicy mouthfeel. Everything is flavourful leaving a clean finish. On Milk we get this light toffee, we settled on toffee yoghurt but we also picked up a little ginger biscuit.

"This is truly one of those coffees you slow down with; elegant, complex, and a true showcase of Panama’s legendary Geisha."

• Cup profile: Floral, Peach, Lemon Candy, Toffee Yoghurt

Coffee details from Cedar

"This coffee comes from the Ruiz family farmed in Alto Jaramillo, Boquete, Panama. Sitting at 1,500m above sea level, the farm benefits from cool climate and fertile soils that bring out the best of the Geisha variety. The Ruiz family put a huge amount of care into each harvest, keeping quality small and precise. 

"The Geisha variety has its roots in Ethiopia and found fame in Panama for its extraordinary cup quality. This coffee is naturally processed where the cherries are dried in the sun with the fruit still on. They would go through an extended dry period for around 30 days till it achieves a moisture level of 11%, which brings out vibrant fruit notes and layers of sweetness."

• Farm/Producer: Ruiz Family
• Exporter: K&R Specialty Coffee, owned and operated by the Ruiz family
• Country: Panama
• Region: Alto Jaramillo, Boquete, Chiriqui
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 1,500 masl
• Variety: Geisha