Is Panama Lincoln Coffee Delicious? The Story and Award-Winning History of Panama Don K Coffee Estate

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There is a coffee bean that gives you the feeling of sipping a bouquet of fresh flowers.

It enters with rich floral aromas, bright fruit acidity, and delivers a stunning sensation from the first sip, earning it the title of the goddess of the coffee world.

This goddess-level coffee bean is—Panama coffee.

Product Information

Product Name: Panama Boquete Don-K Reserva Yellow Honey

Flavor Description: Floral notes, lime, fruit tones, brown sugar, apple, cedar, caramel, sweet and persistent aftertaste, delicate texture.

Kotowa Estate's Recent Award Records:

2017 Best of Panama (BOP):
- Washed Geisha Category 8th Place (Finca Duncan)
- Washed Geisha Category 9th Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Natural Geisha Category 13th Place (Finca Duncan)
- Traditional Natural Category 2nd Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Traditional Natural Category 3rd Place (Finca Duncan)

2016 Best of Panama (BOP):
- Natural Geisha Category 7th Place (Finca Duncan)
- Traditional Natural Category 1st Place (Finca Duncan)
- Traditional Natural Category 2nd Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Pacamara Natural Category 2nd Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Traditional Washed Category 3rd Place (Finca Duncan)

2015 Best of Panama (BOP):
- Natural Geisha Category 2nd Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Natural Geisha Category 4th Place (Finca Duncan)
- Washed Geisha Category 6th Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Traditional Natural Category 2nd Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Traditional Natural Category 6th Place (Finca Duncan)
- Traditional Washed Category 4th Place (Finca Kotowa)

2014 Best of Panama (BOP):
- Natural Geisha Category 5th Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Natural Geisha Category 5th Place (Finca Don K)
- Washed Geisha Category 5th Place (Finca Las Brujas)
- Washed Geisha Category 15th Place (Finca Don K)
- Traditional Natural Category 4th Place (Finca Duncan)
- Traditional Washed Category 3rd Place (Finca Don K)
- Traditional Washed Category 5th Place (Finca Duncan)

Detailed Information

Country: Panama

Region: Chiriqui Province, Baru Volcano, Boquete Region

Producer: Don K Estate under the Kotowa family

Variety: Caturra

Altitude: 1,700 to 1,750 meters

Processing Method: Yellow Honey

Rainfall: 1,750mm annually from May to November

Temperature: 13ºC to 22ºC

Introduction

Kotowa Estate was founded by Canadian-born Alexander Duncan Mac Intyre, who learned about Panama's Boquete coffee region through newspaper columns in 1913. After conducting field research, he fell deeply in love with the superior environment of the Boquete coffee region and relocated to begin growing coffee, choosing an undeveloped hillside area. He is the grandfather of the current third-generation operators.

Kotowa Estate owns a total of four coffee farms: Finca Kotowa Duncan, Finca Kotowa Don K, Finca Kotowa Rio Cristal, and Finca Kotowa Tradicional. Among these, Finca Duncan is named after the pioneer who developed this land. In recent years, Las Brujas Kotowa has frequently appeared, which should be Kotowa Estate's independent selection of their best plots to participate in the annual Best of Panama (BOP) competition, winning awards repeatedly and deservedly so, though the prices are also quite high. The two most famous estates under their management are Duncan and Don K, named after the current owner's grandfather and father respectively.

Situated in the Baru Volcano region, they enjoy unique microclimates and volcanic terrain. The growing season features abundant rainfall and distinct wet and dry seasons. Additionally, volcanic lava flows have created fertile volcanic black soil with excellent drainage, providing an exceptionally advantageous growing environment that produces particularly captivating coffee aromas. Moreover, these two estates are actually located on opposite sides of a ridge, where not only do the microclimates vary significantly, but the coffee flavors are also quite different.

The name "Kotowa" comes from the native indigenous language, meaning "mountain." Over a hundred years ago, Alexander Duncan McIntyre came to this land in Panama. The sincerity of the people and the beautiful environment deeply attracted him, and from then on, the family began growing coffee here. Today, it is operated by the fourth-generation successor, Ricardo Koyner.

The Don K Estate under the Kotowa family is located at an altitude of 1,700 to 1,750 meters, situated on the El Salto Plateau highlands on the western side of the Boquete region near Baru Volcano, facing Duncan across the volcanic ridge. Although both estates sit on opposite sides of the volcanic ridge, the microclimate factors of the regions on both sides of the canyon bring completely different flavors to the coffee from these two estates.

Cultivated varieties include Geisha, Pacamara, and Caturra. Due to cool nights without frost, dry and sunny days, and the influence of microclimates where Pacific and Atlantic air currents meet, the growing season features abundant rainfall and distinct wet and dry seasons. The coffee exhibits strong floral aromas and clean fruit flavors, with cupping quality far exceeding other coffees, delivering stunning flavors and consistently stable quality.

During the harvest season, ripe red-purple cherries are carefully selected, and modern pulping equipment is used for green bean processing. Local natural, clean water sources are utilized to wash coffee cherries and remove pulp. Compared to other processing facilities, they use only half a liter of water to produce each pound of green beans, saving approximately 10 to 20 liters of water per pound of green beans produced. The pulp and wastewater are then reused as organic fertilizers. After natural drying, the coffee green beans are stored in constant-temperature warehouses at 45°C. After resting for two months, the moisture content becomes uniform, the flavors become more mature and smooth, and the aroma and mouthfeel become even more captivating.

Every batch of coffee green beans from the estate is guaranteed to have traceability. Each bag of coffee in the farm has detailed records, including cultivation, processing procedures, and so on.

In addition to being frequent winners in coffee competitions, Kotowa places great importance on ecological environment. In 2006, they were awarded the "Cleanest Environmental Industry" by Panamanian national authorities. Nearly 500 mu of forest protection zones have been designated around the estate area, with careful fire prevention and hunting prohibition. Additionally, over 500 special native tall trees have been planted to provide good natural habitats for wildlife and migratory birds, establishing a biodiverse agricultural environment.

The estate follows a series of strict agricultural production standards and properly plans the balance between social and environmental development: protection of natural water resources and ecosystems, wildlife conservation, pest and disease control, soil maintenance, comprehensive waste management, community relationship maintenance, free medical care, daycare services, school curriculum, providing fair treatment and good living conditions for farmers and their families, and has won recognition from the United Nations Children's Fund for nine consecutive years.

This batch is Boquete Don K Estate Yellow Honey private reserve selected flavor coffee.

Flavor Description: Floral notes, lime, fruit tones, brown sugar, apple, caramel, sweet and persistent aftertaste, delicate texture, smooth and refined mouthfeel with distinct layers.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473