October 2007
Bird nests in the coffee bushes
Panama Birdsong Estate
Imagine this: a coffee plantation in the middle of a tropical rainforest, near the national park l’Amistad in the Panamanian highlands. Between the coffee domestic grasses and flowers grow. The ground is fertilised organically. A complete natural surrounding. In this area the Arabica coffee bushes not only flourish under the shades of trees, birds also life there very comfortably. They are that comfortable that they nest themselves in the coffee bushes. In total over 280 different bird species have been spotted by birdwatchers. Therefore we call the Panama Birdsong a bird friendly coffee! The birds sing to the slowly growing coffee berries on a daily basis. At the top of the rainforest (1700 meters) you can find the Ojo de Aqua. (= eye of water)
The cedar-wooden shed.
Below the forest the little houses of the small Hacienda are found in a moon like circle: the farm, the cupping house and beneficio-sheds where the picked coffee berries arrive and are fermented. Finally the special cedar wooden sheds where the dried coffee beans rest for at least 4 months. Storing the coffee in a cedar wooden shed ads a deep cedar wooden taste to the body of the coffee!
A paste of bananas and peaches.
On the square the barges are found where the coffee berries are sun-dried after fermentation. Only the red berries are used. I was able to taste the pulp of these berries on my last visit: an overwhelming paste of bananas with honey and peaches. That is a harbinger of the hidden taste. Tessie and Ratibor are the Hartmann’s fourth generation of coffee farmers. They are very active protectors of nature and care a lot about their employees. With a lot of pride and accuracy they have prepared the Birdsong coffee for us. The raw typical beans are beautiful; dark blue greenish. It’s now possible to taste this freshly roasted new harvest.
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The Birdsong flavour:
The flavour is like the feathers of a tropical bird: multi-purpose, delicate and uncomplicated. A nice full round balance with a marzipan and velvet like after-taste. A must try for your filter coffee machine. The espresso is a little spicier by nature. It has a cedar like, earthly undertone with a pleasant sweetness in the middle. The after-taste is excellent. The Birdsong espresso is very suitable for all variations: from espresso and cappuccino to café late.
Barend Boot
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