Gourmet Coffee Beans: La Esmeralda Especial Mario Carnaval

Gourmet Coffee Beans of Panama Esmeralda Special Geisha coffee is the gold standard of geishas. Our 2010 lot is was picked in February and is called the Mario Carnaval. The Mario area of the farm in the Jaramillo region of Boquete produces the top ranking Esmeralda Special Geisha. It is from the same high altitude (1500-1650m) award-winning area of Mario in Jaramillo and not one of the new areas.

As usual, much of this coffee was purchased at auction by European and Far East clients, so the quantity here in the US is very low. As such, La Esmeralda is available in very limited quantities!

World’s #1 Coffee at the Specialty Coffee Association annual Coffee of the Year competition in 2005, 2006, 2007, and #2 in 2008, 2009 & 2010. Over 100 of the world’s best coffee enter this annual competition, and Panama’s Esmeralda Geisha (gesha varietal) has been taking it, and the world, by storm. It has also ranked #1 at the Best of Panama competition in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 & 2010 (not entered in 2008), and took #1 in the 2010 & 2009 Rainforest Alliance Cupping. Like no other coffee, the complex flavor of Esmeralda is often described as a coffee trying to be a tea. It smells like jasmine and coffee blossoms, with spectacular aromatic quality and hints of blackberry, mango, chocolate, nuts, lemon, and more. A “masterpiece” coffee by the Peterson family of Hacienda Esmeralda!