V60 Pour-Over Brewing Parameters for Panama Iletta Estate SHB Caturra Specialty Coffee Beans

Brewing Instructions

Hand-poured Panama Eleta: 15 g coffee grounds, medium grind (small Fuji ghost tooth burr #4), a V60 dripper, and 88-89°C water. First pour 30 g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105 g and stop. Wait until the water level drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until you reach 225 g. Discard the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: In-house roasted
Shelf Life: 30 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste Profile: Neutral
Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Panama
Coffee Type: Other

Coffee Details

Name: Panama MC Santa Clara Eleta SHB Washed

Country: Panama

Grade: SHB

Region: Santa Clara

Altitude: Average 1,600 meters

Processing Method: Washed

The Eleta Estate (Cafe de Eleta) is located in the Santa Clara region, a small area just one kilometer from the Costa Rican border, near La Amistad International Park, a major primary forest reserve that forms part of the Central American ecological habitat. The estate began acquiring land in the 1970s, covering approximately 130 hectares. It initially focused on vegetable cultivation and livestock, then started planting coffee in 1995 under the name Cafe de Eleta S.A. The estate kept expanding and now covers 420 hectares, making it one of Panama's large-scale coffee plantations and one of the country's most renowned coffees. Thanks to abundant water resources, it runs a private 530 KW hydroelectric power plant. Beyond being self-sufficient in electricity, it sells excess power to Distribucion de Electricidad Chiriqui S.A. and feeds it into the grid.

Variety: Caturra

Estate: Eleta Estate

Flavor Notes: Creamy bread, apricot kernel sweetness, rounded acidity

Panama Coffee Overview

Panama coffee has been the most popular country in Central America over the past 5-6 years, mainly because the Geisha variety cultivated by the Peterson family at Hacienda La Esmeralda drove coffee enthusiasts wild. As a result, Geisha has been acclaimed as the world's finest coffee bean. For this reason, the Panama Cup of Excellence auction is separate from the Central and South American cupping competitions and was the earliest auction country, held annually in mid-May. Panama coffee impresses not only with Geisha but also with its continuously updated green bean processing methods. Beyond traditional washed processing, it also features honey processing, most popular in neighboring Costa Rica, and the gradually emerging natural method, which Panama also produces in small quantities, drawing global attention.

Coffee was introduced to Panama in 1780, when Europeans brought the first Typica coffee trees. This mysterious, exotic beverage soon conquered the senses of Panamanians, who began widespread cultivation. Panama coffee is remarkably smooth, with full-bodied beans that are light in weight and possess perfectly balanced acidity. Its premium beans offer pure, distinctive flavors. Because of broad popularity, most of Panama's premium coffee is exported to France and Finland.

Main Coffee Growing Regions in Panama

Boquete Region: This area produces abundant, high-quality coffee, making it the region with the highest production and finest quality in Panama.

Volcan Region: Coffee from this area is characterized by mild, balanced flavors and has gradually drawn the attention of international experts and coffee enthusiasts. It is expected to soon rival the Boquete region.

Santa Clara Region: Fertile coffee gardens here are irrigated and nourished by the clear river water from the Chorerra waterfall, and proximity to the Panama Canal lets fresh, pure Panama coffee ship conveniently worldwide.

Piedra de Candela Region: Considered to have the greatest potential for developing high-quality specialty coffee.

This Batch's Characteristics

This batch offers the purest, most original flavors. Because the Eleta Estate SHB washed coffee is harvested from high-altitude coffee beans, it carries intense fruity and floral aromas. Flavor characteristics include creamy bread, apricot kernel sweetness, cane sugar sweetness, rounded acidity, complex aroma, balanced sweet and sour notes, and a pleasant mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Panama is best known for Geisha, and if you want a first taste, FrontStreet's Boquete Geisha is the estate-level entry point. Grown at around 1,600 meters in fertile volcanic ash soil within Panama's most representative specialty region, it is a washed Geisha that clearly shows the varietal's orange-blossom honey character, with jasmine florals, green tea, honey, citrus, and orange notes.

For a Geisha-adjacent coffee at a friendlier price, FrontStreet's Butterfly carries half Geisha lineage, blending Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai grown in the Baru Volcano area of Boquete. Cool day-night temperature swings and volcanic rock soil give it a full body, bright citrus acidity, and Geisha's jasmine aroma. It works well as both pour-over and cold brew.

And to taste the top of the ladder, FrontStreet's Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha is harvested from a single plot above 1,700 meters and must score 91 or above in cupping, with a refined orange-blossom honey character that defines the highest tier of Panama Geisha.