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How to Properly Enjoy Panama Elida and Panama Coffee Bean Prices

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional barista exchange - follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). Baru is a young volcano with an altitude exceeding 3,400 meters, classified as an active volcano with seven different microclimate zones in its surrounding area, fostering rich and diverse ecosystems. The diverse microclimates present both advantages and disadvantages for coffee cultivation, but in Elida's case, her flavor profile is more intense and aromatic than most Panamanian beans

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Baru Volcano and Microclimates

Baru is a young volcano with an altitude exceeding 3,400 meters. It is an active volcano surrounded by seven different microclimate zones, which nurture rich and diverse ecosystems. The diverse microclimates have both advantages and disadvantages for coffee cultivation. However, in the case of Elida, its flavor is more intense and aromatic than most Panama beans, with black berry aftertaste and versatile mouthfeel, making it extremely favored by connoisseurs.

Challenges of High Altitude

However, high-altitude terrain also has drawbacks. For example, Elida's coffee cultivation average altitude exceeds 1,700 meters. The high terrain combined with low nighttime temperatures means coffee takes five years from planting to harvest, making the waiting period extremely long. After entering the harvest period, coffee ripening often exceeds one month. If abnormal weather occurs before ripening, such as typhoons or heavy rain - irresistible factors - despite knowing it will cause significant losses, because the beans are not yet ripe and quality standards are maintained, not rushing to harvest leads to sharply reduced yields. The risk is actually much greater than low-altitude estates.

Pour-over Brewing Method

Pour-over Panama. 15g coffee grounds, medium grind (small Fuji ghost tooth blade #4 grind), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water, bloom for 27 seconds. Pour up to 105g and stop pouring. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then pour again slowly until reaching 225g. Discard the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Boquete Region and Geisha Fame

Panama coffee is famous for the Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, and the region where La Esmeralda is located is also quite renowned - it's 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 rich and fertile, and the climate and soil are highly suitable for producing premium coffee.

Awards and Umami Character

Since 2006, Elida's selected batches have consistently ranked among the best Panama winning batches, with prices becoming more premium 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 leaving people full of praise. What judges also flock to is Elida's unique "savory flavor," a term derived from "Umami." Currently, many experts include "savory" among the five basic tastes (sour, sweet, bitter, salty, savory). The effect of savory flavor is similar to monosodium glutamate, enhancing umami or making foods like dried shiitake mushrooms, aged cheese, and kombu for broth. The savory flavor in coffee is related to good "aftertaste" - for example, having a longer and pleasant aftertaste after sipping all belong to the experience of savory flavor.

Processing Equipment and Quality Control

The equipment, tools, and processing steps at Elida's processing facility are all meticulously crafted. Generally, when coffee fruits reach a certain stage of post-processing, if their moisture content exceeds 20% for an extended period, not only do the high-quality components inside the coffee fruit easily dissipate, but there's also the possibility of off-flavors developing. Additionally, since Elida's processing facility is still at high altitude, they have dedicated processing equipment to control temperature and timing during drying. This must be controlled perfectly and is also a crucial key step affecting quality.

Natural Processing and Typica Variety

This batch uses natural processing method, with the classic Typica variety. Typica: The oldest native variety from Ethiopia, grown in southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan. All Arabica varieties derive from Typica. The flavor is elegant, but the plant is weak, disease-resistant, and has low fruit yield. Excellent estate beans like Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona all belong to Typica. Typica's top leaves are copper-colored, called red-topped coffee, and Typica belongs to Arabica.

Elida Estate Characteristics

More than half of Elida Estate's area is within the Panama National Park reserve area. It is a rare ultra-high-altitude estate in Central America. Based on terrain feasibility, coffee is cultivated between 1,700 meters to nearly 2,000 meters, famous for its "intense, savory" main flavor profile.

Estate Owner and Cultivation

Elida Estate belongs to owner Wilford Lamastus. This estate cultivates three varieties, including Typica, Geisha, and Catuai, with seedling areas nurturing young plants of these varieties. The journey to the estate is beautiful. At 1,700 meters, the air becomes cold, like walking in high mountains enjoying forest bathing and breathing very fresh air. The estate's 2,000-meter terrain is steep and rugged. After crossing the ridge line and reaching the saddle area, it's surprisingly flat open ground, terrain that can shield from howling mountain winds. Wilford says this is the best place to grow Geisha!

Flavor Profile

Flavor description: Rich tropical fruits, strawberry aroma, black plums, apricots, peaches, longan, intense fruit wine aroma.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

Net weight: 227g

Packaging method: Bulk

Coffee bean state: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar content: Sugar-free

Origin: Panama

Roast level: Medium roast

Typica Variety Details

Typica is a tall-growing variety of Arabica, originating from the Yemen to Java branch, which began spreading in Java Island in the early 18th century.

Ethiopia's oldest native variety, all Arabica varieties derive from Typica. Typica's top leaves are bronze-colored, and the beans are oval or slender-pointed; the flavor is elegant, but the plant is weak, disease-resistant, and has low fruit yield. Excellent estate beans like Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona all belong to Typica.

Its plant is very similar to what we call Java today, with bronze-tipped young leaves, and both fruit and seeds are large. The yield is very low, and it's susceptible to all major pests and diseases.