Hartmann Family Geisha

Finca Hartmann is an institution within the Panama coffee community. It’s a story of hard work, determination and unwavering commitment to quality. The Hartmann family is now very successful, and they deserve all their recent accolades. It’s the culmination of decades of work by the third generation siblings. I have much more to say about Finca Hartmann and the family, but let’s get back to the coffee for a moment.

This coffee is a genuine T2722 geisha. There are a lot of “geisha’s” out there, but many (maybe even most) are mutations or crosses or Ethiopian heirlooms - the only way to know is to have the plant material genetically tested, which the Hartmanns have done. Although it’s practically impossible for a farm to claim 100% pure varietal (mutations, cross pollination), this lot is as close as it comes. It’s from the upper part of Finca Hartmann, called Ojo de Agua, and it’s from one of the standout microlots called “Una Hectarea” - I know, how creative!

The coffee had a quick anaerobic fermentation in cherry form for 16 hours in closed bags. The coffee was then depulped and anaerobically fermented in barrels. The coffee was fully washed and then moved to dark room dehydrators where it gently finished drying for 15 days. The gentle dehydration process (instead of fast sun drying) results in conditions that are very consistent from bean to bean, resulting in great clarity for both washed and natural coffees. The cup rewards this cleanliness  showcasing a juicy, classic geisha profile with subtle hints of jammy fruits.

Back to the family. The Hartman family is made up of four brothers and a sister, their spouses and their grand or their children. Their grandfather Alois Strasil Hartmann first mountaineered through the Santa Clara region in the late 1800s. He found a remote, beautiful, fertile, forest enclosed region that would later become Finca Hartmann. Alois’ son, Ratibor “Chicho” Hartmann was responsible for growing the plantation and establishing Finca Hartmann as a coffee farm.  Three of Chicho’s children, Aliss, Allan and Alexander now run the farm.