Finca Ileita Flavor Description | Which Panama Coffee Brand is Best

Café de Eleta Estate: A Premier Panama Coffee Origin

For professional barista discussions, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Café de Eleta Estate is located in a small area of the Santa Clara region, just one kilometer from the Costa Rica border, near La Amistad International Park, a major primary forest reserve that is part of the Central American ecological habitat. The Eleta Estate began acquiring land in the 1970s, covering an area of about 130 hectares. Initially, it was dedicated to vegetable cultivation and livestock operations. In 1995, coffee cultivation began, and it was named Café de Eleta S.A., continuing to expand the land area until today, where it encompasses 420 hectares, making it one of the large-scale coffee plantations in Panama and one of the best-known Panamanian coffees. Due to abundant water resources, there is a private hydropower plant of 530KW, which not only provides self-sufficient electricity but also sells excess power to Distribución de Electricidad Chiriquí S.A. for grid connection.

Coffee Details

Variety: Caturra

Estate: Café de Eleta

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

The Rise of Panama Coffee

Panama coffee has become the most popular country in Central America in the last 5-6 years, primarily because of the Geisha variety grown at Hacienda La Esmeralda, operated by the Peterson family, which has driven coffee enthusiasts wild. Consequently, Geisha has been acclaimed as the world's top coffee bean. For this reason, the Panama Coffee Excellence Cup auction is independent of the Central and South American Cupping Competition and is also the earliest auction country, held annually in mid-May. Panama coffee is impressive not only in the Geisha variety but also in the continuous innovation of mid-stage green bean processing methods. It not only features traditional washed processing but also the honey processing method that is prevalent in neighboring Costa Rica. Additionally, naturally processed beans, which are gradually taking shape in Central America, are also produced in small quantities in Panama, attracting attention from coffee professionals worldwide.

Panama Coffee Heritage

Coffee was introduced to Panama in 1780, when Europeans brought the first Typica variety trees. This mysterious and exotic beverage then conquered the senses of Panamanians, and locals began widespread cultivation. Panama coffee is very smooth, with full-bodied beans that are light in weight and have perfectly balanced acidity. Its premium coffee beans feature pure, distinctive flavors. Due to widespread popularity, most of Panama's premium coffee beans are exported to France and Finland.

Major Coffee Growing Regions in Panama

Boquete Region: This area produces coffee in large quantities with excellent quality, making it the region with the highest production and best quality coffee in Panama.

Volcan Region: The coffee produced in this area is characterized by mild, balanced flavors and has gradually attracted the attention of 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 river water from the Chorerra waterfall, and with the proximity to the Panama Canal, fresh, pure Panama coffee can be conveniently transported to all parts of the world.

Piedra de Candela Region: This area is most promising for developing high-quality specialty coffee potential.

This batch of coffee features the most pristine original flavors. Because Café de Eleta SHB washed coffee is harvested from high-altitude Catuai coffee beans, it carries strong fruity and floral aromas. Flavor characteristics: creamy bread, sweet apricot kernel notes, cane sugar sweetness, rounded acidity, complex aroma, balanced sweet and sour, pleasant mouthfeel.

About Caturra Variety

Caturra is a natural variant of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is not as tall as Bourbon, being more compact. Due to its Bourbon heritage, it has relatively weak disease resistance, but its yield is higher than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not suitable for growing in Brazil, so it was not cultivated on a large scale there. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South American regions, with countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua planting Caturra extensively.

Compared to these botanical characteristics, people might be more concerned about the taste of Caturra. The higher the altitude where Caturra is grown, the better the quality, but correspondingly, the lower the yield. When lightly roasted, Caturra shows distinct acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, the sweetness can perform excellently, but the coffee body is relatively lower compared to Bourbon, and the cleanliness of the mouthfeel is somewhat lacking.

Typically, Caturra produces red cherries, but in very rare regions, there are yellow Caturra varieties. For example, Hawaii cultivates very small quantities of yellow Caturra.

Coffee Bean Grading Systems

Currently, the grading systems for coffee bean growing regions worldwide are not unified. Each coffee-producing country has its own grading system and grading names. Therefore, you might see the following text on coffee labels: "SHB," "AA+," "Supremo," "Extra-Fancy," "Peaberry," etc. These are coffee bean grading names. Sometimes roasted coffee beans sold on the market are labeled with the grading of single-origin coffee. The more detailed the coffee grading labeling, usually the better the coffee quality. However, most general coffee does not indicate this information.

Product Information

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: Medium
Coffee Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Contains Sugar: No
Origin: Panama
Coffee Type: Other

Coffee Specifications

Product Name: Panama MC Santa Clara Eleta SHB Washed

Country: Panama

Grade: SHB

Region: Santa Clara

Altitude: Average 1600 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Brewing Recommendations

Pour-over Panama Eleta. 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji Royal grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour with 30g of water, let bloom for 27 seconds. Pour up to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473