Panama Ileta Coffee Flavor Profile - Panama Ileta Estate Characteristics

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

Panama MC Santa Clara Eleta SHB Washed

Country: Panama

Grade: SHB

Region: Santa Clara

Elevation: Average 1,600 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Panamanian Eleta pour-over. 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji Royal ceramic burr grinder #4), V60 dripper, 88-89°C water temperature. First pour with 30g water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops halfway before continuing to pour slowly until reaching 225g. Discard the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

The Eleta Estate

The Eleta Estate (Café de Eleta) is located in the small Santa Clara region, just one kilometer from the Costa Rican border, near La Amistad International Park, a major primary forest reserve that belongs to the Central American ecological habitat. The Eleta Estate began acquiring land in the 1970s, covering approximately 130 hectares. Initially, it operated as a vegetable farm and livestock operation. In 1995, it started cultivating coffee and was named Café de Eleta S.A. The estate continued to expand its land area until today, now encompassing 420 hectares, making it one of Panama's large-scale coffee plantations and one of the country's most renowned premium coffees. Due to abundant water resources, it operates a private 530KW hydroelectric power plant that not only supplies its own electricity needs but also sells excess power to Distribución de Electricidad Chiriquí S.A. for grid connection.

Variety: Caturra

Estate: Eleta Estate

Flavor Profile: Creamy bread, sweet apricot kernel notes, rounded acidity

Panamanian Coffee Excellence

Panama has become the most popular coffee country in Central America over the past 5-6 years, primarily due to the Geisha variety cultivated at Hacienda La Esmeralda, operated by the Peterson family. This coffee has driven enthusiasts worldwide to acclaim it as the world's finest coffee bean. For this reason, the Panama Coffee Excellence Competition auction is held independently from the Central and South American cupping competitions and was the earliest country to hold auctions, taking place annually in mid-May. Panamanian coffee impresses not only with its Geisha variety but also with continuous innovations in processing methods. In addition to traditional washed processing, it features honey processing popularized by neighboring Costa Rica, as well as small-scale production of natural processed beans that are gradually gaining prominence in Central America, attracting attention from coffee professionals globally.

Coffee History in Panama

Coffee was introduced to Panama in 1780 when Europeans brought the first Typica varieties. This mysterious and fascinating beverage soon conquered the senses of Panamanians, who began widespread cultivation. Panamanian coffee is exceptionally smooth, with full, lightweight 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 Major Coffee Regions

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

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

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

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

Tasting Notes and Processing

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

The Caturra Variety

Caturra is a natural mutation of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant structure is shorter and more compact than Bourbon. While inheriting Bourbon's lineage, 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 plantings 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 distinct acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, sweetness can be exceptionally well-expressed, though the body is relatively thin compared to Bourbon, and clarity in the cup may be somewhat lacking.

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

Coffee Bean Grading Systems

Currently, coffee bean grading systems are not standardized worldwide. Each coffee-producing country has its own grading system and terminology. Therefore, you might see the following terms on coffee packaging: "SHB," "AA+," "Supremo," "Extra-Fancy," "Peaberry," etc. These are all coffee bean grade names. Sometimes roasted coffee beans sold on the market may indicate the grade of single-origin coffee. The more detailed the grading information, typically the better the coffee quality. However, most commercial coffees do not display this information.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473