ALLEGRO COFFEE COMPANY RELEASES RARE, LIMITED-EDITION ROAST—PANAMA ESMERALDA 1500 GESHA—FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON
[DENVER] – This winter, Allegro Coffee Company will release limited quantities of its most remarkable coffee: the coveted Panamá Esmeralda 1500 Gesha. An Ethiopian heirloom variety, Gesha is grown in a small valley situated in the lower Southwestern province of Panama in its famed Boquete region. In 1996, the Peterson family’s Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered the variety, finding that the best tasting coffee grew between 1,450 and 1,700 meters. At 1,500 meters, the beans produced an intensely fragrant and aromatic brew with notes of exotic jasmine, bergamot-tea and orange-blossom. With a bright, sweet acidity that is explosively floral on the palate, Gesha variety has won 16 international coffee competitions since 2004.
“Around 2005, we were given a sample of the Peterson’s Gesha from their now famed Esmeralda Special Grand Reserve,” explains Darrin Daniel, Allegro’s Director of Sourcing. “We were amazed by the clarity and elegance of this coffee. That year we decided we would start trying to buy it through the best of Panama Auction, and over the years, the Esmeralda family has really become part of our Allegro family—they’ve given the coffee world a gift and have redefined what coffee can be.”
In 2014, Hacienda La Esmeralda offered Allegro their Gesha 1500, an exclusive accumulation of all of its lots of this beautiful variety. Allegro is truly proud to share this exceptionally limited variety with its customers. The Panamá Esmeralda 1500 Gesha will be offered in 8-ounce bags for $14.99 for the months of November and December; it will be available online through Allegro’s website and at Whole Foods Markets. Just in time to be savored for the holidays, it’s a rare gift to be treasured by your closest coffee enthusiasts.
“Two years ago, Allegro became our largest buyer of the Gesha 1500, says Rachel Peterson, co-owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda.” We’ve loved partnering with them on this—working with Allegro has driven awareness surrounding one of our most coveted coffees to a large, diverse audience of discerning coffee drinkers.”
About Hacienda La Esmeralda
Hacienda La Esmeralda, located in Boquete on the slopes of the Barú Volcano in Western Panama and owned by the Peterson Family, produces high quality coffee, mostly of the geisha and catuai varieties, including the unique award-winning Esmeralda Special Geisha. Hacienda La Esmeralda employs ethical and sustainable practices to support the land and the people that farm it.
About Allegro Coffee Company
Allegro Coffee Company was founded in 1977 in Boulder, Colorado. It is one of the first certified organic roasters in the country. Whole Foods Market acquired Allegro in 1997; since then Whole Foods Market has offered Allegro’s coffee as its signature house roast. In 2013, Allegro opened its first official Allegro Coffee Roasters craft coffee venue at Whole Foods Market in Brooklyn, New York. Allegro has earned national praise, including first place in a blind taste test of Allegro’s Organic Continental Blend conducted by Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart Magazine, for whole bean roasts.
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