The center of the coffee industry in Panama is found primarily in Chiriquí province, where this Gesha variety is grown. Some of Panama’s most sought-after coffees are produced in Chiriquí along the country’s northern highlands, specifically in the mountain towns of Boquete and Volcán, which are referred to as the Valley of Flowers and Eternal Spring. Due to the area’s nurturing volcanic soil, high humidity, abundant rainfall, dense tropical vegetation, and high elevation, the Gesha variety can thrive in the region. The Gesha variety was originally collected from coffee forests in Ethiopia in the 1930s. As a result of the coffee’s extremely high cup quality, Gesha coffee has been brought to various coffee-growing regions all over the world. Due to the variety’s particular production parameters, it can only develop in specific microclimates making it an exceedingly rare offering. Chiriquí provides the ideal environment for Gesha coffee, with its distinct terroir that enables the coffee trees to flourish. Gesha trees do not yield much fruit and they take much longer than regular coffee trees to grow. Where non-Gesha coffee plants take four years to mature and produce cherries, Gesha trees can take six to eight years to fully develop.
This coffee was produced by Jamison Savage of Savage Coffees in Panama. Established in 2016, Savage Coffees is a collaboration of boutique coffee producers who share the common goal of producing only the finest specialty coffees. With unwavering quality standards and advanced processing techniques, the offerings from Savage Coffees have won numerous national championships and are oftentimes featured at elite coffee events and in Michelin star restaurants. Throughout his career, Jamison has experimented with various innovative coffee processing techniques to achieve the most complex flavor characteristics.
The Parabolic Gesha coffee is Savage's unique processing method of a Natural Carbonic Maceration. The process begins by harvesting perfectly ripe Gesha coffee cherries, which then undergo a second selection to remove any flawed cherries. The cherries are then placed in tanks with carbon dioxide where they are consistently monitored for adequate gas levels, PH balance, and temperature. After spending sufficient time in the tanks, the coffee cherries are removed and placed on shaded, raised African drying beds where they are shifted every 30 minutes to ensure even drying. Direct exposure to sunlight is avoided altogether to make sure the coffee is not damaged by the effects of UV rays. The temperature is also closely monitored in the dryhouses to ensure the cellular structure of the cherries remains intact. Once the coffee is dried to 11%, it is placed in GrainPro bags and stored for an extended period in stable conditions. This “reposo” or rest period is essential to allow the coffee to further develop flavors and equalize moisture content. After the reposo period, the coffee is finally milled, sorted, and hand selected one last time for peak quality assurance.
We’re incredibly grateful to Jamison for allowing us to secure this Parabolic Gesha coffee. This is the fourth year in a row that we’ve been able to obtain a Gesha coffee from Jamison, and we couldn’t be prouder to showcase the superior quality of this offering. Imparting deeply complex and multifaceted flavors, we’re thrilled to offer this one-of-a-kind coffee to you. Cheers!
