Panama Illeta Coffee Pour-Over Brewing Guide | Panama Illeta Estate Brewing Parameters

Hand-poured Panama Ileta. 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fujiyama ghost tooth blade #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour with 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the coffee bed drains halfway before continuing the pour, slowly pour until reaching 225g total. Discard the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Eleta Estate: A Premier Panama Coffee Origin

Café de Eleta is located in the small Santa Clara region, just one kilometer from the Costa Rican border, near the La Amistad International Park, a major primary forest reserve that forms part of the Central American ecological habitat. Eleta Estate began acquiring land in the 1970s, covering approximately 130 hectares. Initially focused on vegetable cultivation and livestock operations, it wasn't until 1995 that coffee cultivation began under the name Café de Eleta S.A. The estate continued to expand its land area until today, reaching 420 hectares, making it one of Panama's large-scale coffee plantations and one of the country's most renowned premium coffees. With abundant water resources, the estate operates a private 530KW hydroelectric power plant that not only provides self-sufficient electricity but also sells surplus power to Distribución de Electricidad Chiriquí S.A. for grid connection.

Variety: Caturra

Estate: Eleta Estate

Flavor Profile: Creamy bread, apricot kernel sweetness, well-rounded acidity

The Rise of Panama Coffee

Panama coffee has become the most sought-after origin in Central America over the past 5-6 years, primarily due to the Geisha variety cultivated by the Peterson family at Hacienda La Esmeralda, which has driven coffee enthusiasts into a frenzy. This has led to Geisha being acclaimed as the world's finest coffee bean. For this reason, the Panama Cup of Excellence auction is held separately from the Central and South American cupping competitions, and it was also the earliest auction country, held annually in mid-May. Panama coffee impresses not only with its Geisha variety but also with continuous innovations in green bean processing methods. Beyond traditional washed processing, it features honey processing methods popular in neighboring Costa Rica, and Panama also produces small quantities of naturally processed beans that are gradually gaining prominence in Central America, attracting attention from coffee professionals worldwide.

Coffee History in Panama

Coffee was introduced to Panama in 1780 when Europeans brought the first Typica varieties. This mysterious and extraordinary beverage soon conquered the senses of Panamanians, who began widespread cultivation. Panama coffee is known for its smoothness, full yet light-bodied beans, and perfectly balanced acidity. Its premium coffee beans offer pure, distinctive flavors. Due to its widespread popularity, most of Panama's premium coffee beans are exported to France and Finland.

Panama's Main Coffee Growing Regions

Boquete Region: This area produces coffee in large quantities with excellent quality, making it the most productive and high-quality region for Panama coffee.

Volcán Region: Coffee from this region is characterized by mild, balanced flavors and is gradually gaining attention from international experts and coffee enthusiasts. It is believed that it will soon rival the Boquete region.

Santa Clara Region: Fertile coffee farms are irrigated and nourished by the clear waters of the Chorerra waterfall, and its proximity to the Panama Canal allows fresh, pure Panama coffee to be conveniently shipped worldwide.

Piedra de Candela Region: This region is considered to have the greatest potential for developing high-quality specialty coffee.

This particular coffee offers the most pure, original flavors. Because Eleta Estate's SHB washed coffee is harvested from high-altitude Catuai coffee beans, it carries intense fruit and floral aromas. Flavor characteristics include: creamy bread, apricot kernel sweetness, cane sugar sweetness, well-rounded acidity, complex aroma, balanced sweet and sour notes, and pleasant mouthfeel.

The Caturra Variety

Caturra is a natural mutation of the Bourbon Arabica variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is shorter and more compact than Bourbon. Due to its Bourbon heritage, it has relatively weak disease resistance but higher yields than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not well-suited for growing conditions there, so it wasn't widely cultivated in Brazil. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South American countries, with large-scale cultivation in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

Compared to these botanical characteristics, most people are more concerned with Caturra's flavor profile. The higher the elevation where Caturra is grown, the better the quality, but correspondingly lower the yield. When lightly roasted, Caturra exhibits pronounced acidity and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can be expressed exceptionally well, though the body is typically lower compared to Bourbon, and the cleanliness of the cup may be somewhat lacking.

Caturra typically produces red cherries, but in very rare regions, yellow Caturra can be found. For example, Hawaii cultivates a very small amount of yellow Caturra.

Coffee Grading Systems

Currently, coffee grading systems are not standardized worldwide. Each coffee-producing country has its own grading system and terminology. Therefore, you might see terms like "SHB," "AA+," "Supremo," "Extra-Fancy," "Peaberry" on coffee packaging. These are all coffee grade names. Commercially available roasted beans sometimes indicate the grade of single-origin coffee. The more detailed the grading information, typically the higher the coffee quality. However, most commercial coffees do not display this 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
Flavor Profile: Neutral
Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Panama
Coffee Type: Other

Coffee Specifications

Panama MC Santa Clara Eleta SHB Washed

Country: Panama
Grade: SHB
Region: Santa Clara
Altitude: Average 1,600 meters
Processing Method: Washed

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473