Roberto Brenes (Auromar)

Description

Tastes Like: Cherry Blossom, Yuzu, Brown Sugar

Origin: Finca Auromar, Candela, Chiriquí, Panama

Variety: Geisha

Producer: Roberto Brenes

Elevation: 1,570–1,770 masl

Process: Washed

About Finca Auromar

Auromar Panama is a Brenes-Eleta family project established by Roberto Brenes in 2006 following a long career in finance. The estate’s coffee farm, Finca La Aurora, is located in Candela, Chiriquí, between 1,570 and 1,770 masl. The 30.5-hectare property includes 14.5 hectares of coffee cultivation across its lower elevations, while the upper portion is maintained as highland tropical forest.

Native shade trees and high-altitude Hass avocado trees form a substantial canopy, helping limit temperature fluctuations between day and night. Auromar’s later harvest begins in December and continues into March, overlapping with the region’s drier and sunnier season. The estate works with Ngäbe-Buglé harvesters, pays premiums for selective picking, and supports technical training, adult education, youth activities, and access to school and health services. Auromar also states that it operates without child labor.

Variety

Geisha is an Arabica variety recognized for exceptionally high cup-quality potential when it is carefully managed at high elevation. It is commonly associated with delicate floral aromatics and clearly defined fruit character, although its exact expression depends on the growing environment and processing. In this coffee, that character presents as cherry blossom and yuzu, while the brown-sugar note provides a rounder base of sweetness.

Processing

Auromar’s published washed-Geisha protocol begins with selective harvesting at peak ripeness, followed by depulping and approximately 12–18 hours of fermentation. After fermentation, the coffee is washed, sun-dried, manually sorted twice, and rested for at least six weeks before final preparation. Removing the fruit before drying generally supports greater separation between aromatics, acidity, and sweetness, which suits this coffee’s cherry-blossom and yuzu expression while preserving its brown-sugar finish.

Text from Hydrangea Coffee Roasters' listing.