Panama Elida Estate Coffee Characteristics & Panama Elida Coffee Brewing Methods

About Elida Estate

Professional barista communication: Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Over half of Elida Estate's area lies within the Panama National Park Reserve. It is a rare high-altitude estate in Central America, cultivating coffee at elevations ranging from 1,700 to nearly 2,000 meters based on terrain feasibility. The estate is renowned for its main flavor profile of "rich and umami."

Elida Estate belongs to owner Wilford Lamastus. The estate grows three varieties: Typica, Geisha, and Catuai, with nurseries cultivating seedlings of these varieties. The journey to the estate is beautiful, with the air becoming cold and crisp at 1,700 meters, like walking through high mountains enjoying a forest bath while breathing very fresh air. The terrain at 2,000 meters is steep and rugged, but after crossing the ridge line to the saddle area, you discover flat, open ground that can shelter from the howling mountain winds. Wilford says this is the perfect place to grow Geisha!

Brewing Method

Panama pour-over. 15g coffee grounds, medium grind (small Fuji ghost tooth blade #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g water for 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops halfway before continuing the pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total water, discarding the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Flavor Profile

Rich tropical fruits, strawberry aroma, black plum, apricot, peach, longan, with intense fruit wine notes.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Coffee Bean State: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Panama

Roast Level: Medium roast

About Typica Variety

Typica is a tall cultivar of Arabica, originating from the Yemen to Java lineage, and began spreading in Java in the early 18th century.

It is the oldest native variety from Ethiopia, with all Arabica varieties derived from Typica. Typica has bronze-colored young leaves and oval or slender-pointed beans. The flavor is elegant, but the plant is physically weak, with poor disease resistance and low yield. Excellent estate beans like Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona all belong to the Typica family.

Its plant is very similar to what we call Java today, with bronze-tipped young leaves, large fruits and seeds, very low yield, and susceptibility to all major pests and diseases.

Coffee Details

Panama Boquete Elida Typica Natural

Country: Panama

Grade: SHB

Region: Boquete

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing: Natural

Variety: Typica

Flavor: Rich tropical fruits, strawberry aroma, black plum

Volcanic Terroir

Baru is a young volcano standing over 3,400 meters tall, classified as an active volcano. The surrounding area features seven different microclimates, fostering rich and diverse ecosystems. The diverse microclimates have both advantages and disadvantages for coffee cultivation. However, for Elida Estate, its flavors are more intense and aromatic than most Panama coffees, with black berry aftertaste and complex mouthfeel, making it extremely popular among coffee connoisseurs.

However, high-altitude terrain also has drawbacks. For example, at Elida, the average altitude for coffee cultivation exceeds 1,700 meters. The high altitude combined with cool night temperatures means coffee takes five years after planting before it can be harvested, making the waiting period extremely long. During harvest season, coffee maturation often exceeds one month. If adverse weather occurs before maturation—such as typhoons or heavy rain—significant losses are inevitable. However, because the beans haven't matured, commitment to quality means not rushing to harvest, leading to sharply reduced yields. The risks are actually much greater than for low-altitude estates.

Boquete Region

Panama coffee is famous for the Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, and the region where this estate is located is also quite renowned: the Boquete region in Chiriqui Province. Boquete is a town in Chiriqui Province, situated near the border between Panama and Costa Rica, close to the famous Baru Volcano. The scenery is beautiful, the soil is fertile and rich, and the climate and soil are perfectly suited for producing premium coffee.

Excellence and Umami

Since 2006, Elida's selected batches have consistently ranked among Panama's best winning batches, with prices increasing year by year. Among Central American estates, Elida should be considered the most "Kenyan black berry-toned," with its black berries and persistent complex fruit flavors often earning endless praise. Judges are also drawn to Elida's unique "umami flavor"—a term derived from "Umami." Currently, many experts include "umami" as the fifth basic taste (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami). The effect of umami is similar to monosodium glutamate, enhancing freshness or used in foods like dried shiitake mushrooms, aged cheese, and kombu for making stocks. Umami in coffee is related to good "aftertaste"—for example, having a long and pleasant finish after sipping all belong to the experience of umami flavor.

The equipment, tools, and processing steps at Elida's processing station are all meticulously executed. Generally, when coffee cherries reach a certain stage in post-processing, if their moisture content exceeds 20% for extended periods, not only do the high-quality components inside easily dissipate, but there's also potential for off-flavors to develop. Additionally, Elida's processing station remains at high altitude, so it has dedicated processing equipment to control temperature and timing during drying. This must be controlled precisely, representing a crucial step that affects quality.

This particular batch uses natural processing method and is the classic Typica variety. Typica: The oldest native variety from Ethiopia, originating from southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan. All Arabica varieties derive from Typica. The flavor is elegant, but the plant is physically weak, with poor disease resistance and low yield. Excellent estate beans like Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona all belong to the Typica family. Typica has bronze-colored young leaves, called red-topped coffee, and belongs to the Arabica species.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473