Single-Origin Coffee Bean Recommendations | The World's Best Coffee | Elida Estate Catuai Natural

Hand-Poured Single-Origin Coffee Bean Recommendations

Origin: Panama

Estate Name: Elida Estate, Boquete Valley, Panama

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Catuai

Flavor Profile: Tropical fruits, peach wine aroma, fresh strawberries, juicy sweet and sour, fermented rice notes, excellent sweetness, long berry aftertaste

Roast Level: Light to Medium

Altitude: 1800m

Elida Estate Award Records:

• 2018: 1st place in both Natural and Washed categories at BOP
• 2016: 1st place in Traditional Washed category at BOP
• 2015: 3rd place in Traditional Natural category at BOP
• 2014: 3rd place in Natural category at BOP
• 2013: 6th place in Natural category at BOP
• 2012: 5th place in Natural category at BOP
• 2011: 3rd place in Natural category at BOP

Panama Boquete Elida Catuai Natural

Tropical fruits, peach wine aroma, fresh strawberries, Irwin mango, pineapple, juicy sweet-and-sour peaches, vanilla, fermented rice notes, dark berries, excellent sweetness, long berry aftertaste.

Recommended Brewing Methods:

V60 pour-over, French press

Elida Estate is located in the Boquete growing region of Panama and is one of the highest-altitude coffee estates in the country. Situated on the eastern side of the Baru Volcano, it has consistently received Best of Panama awards for five consecutive years. In 2018 it achieved a dual championship in both the Natural and Washed categories, with the Washed category setting a record high score of 94.66. Its total number of BOP awards is second only to the internationally renowned Esmeralda Estate.

Coffee cultivation began here in 1918. In addition to coffee, many native tree species are planted, providing shade for the coffee plants while protecting the ecosystem. The family uses manual fertilisation for the coffee trees and refuses to use environmentally harmful herbicides and pesticides. Because of the high altitude, year-round low temperatures delay the maturation of the coffee cherries. The volcanic soil near the volcano also provides rich nutrients, enabling this estate's beans to achieve outstanding competition results year after year.

The Arabica variety Catuai is a hybrid cross between Caturra and Mundo Novo. Caturra plants are short while Mundo Novo plants are tall, and the hybridisation improved the height for easier harvesting. The flavour is sweet, with sweetness similar to Caturra, less acidity and astringency, and improved balance that fixes the parent varieties' shortcomings.

Natural Processing Method

Also known as sun-drying or non-washed processing, this method involves drying harvested coffee cherries in the sun before removing the husk. During the extended sun exposure the coffee absorbs flavours from the fruit skin and pulp, resulting in fuller sweetness and body and easily creating distinctive aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee: a roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean selection, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans. Online shop services are also available. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Elida's natural Catuai shows how much fruit a well-grown Panamanian coffee can carry, and Panama's growing regions are the reason. The country's coffee zones sit in the west — Boquete, Volcan, Santa Clara, and Piedra de Candela — all squarely in the coffee belt with fertile volcanic soil and ancient forest. Boquete and Volcan are the best-known specialty regions, and Boquete's mountains are often wrapped in cloud, humid by day and cool by night, which is ideal for Geisha.

For a first taste of Panama, FrontStreet Coffee suggests its Boquete washed Geisha, an estate-level entry Geisha planted at 1,600 meters. The fertile volcanic ash feeds a rich aroma, and the brewed cup shows Geisha's signature jasmine, green tea, honey, citrus, and orange. FrontStreet's Panama washed Butterfly is also worth trying: it carries half Geisha lineage, blended from Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai and grown in Boquete's Baru Volcano area, where abundant rain, a wide day-night temperature swing, and volcanic rock soil give the cup a full body, citrus acidity, and Geisha's jasmine aroma; it suits both pour-over and cold brew.

To go to the top of the range, FrontStreet's Esmeralda Red Label Geisha is picked from a single plot above 1,700 meters and cupped at 91 points, with a refined orange-blossom honey character. For a non-Geisha alternative from the same famous estate, FrontStreet's Diamond Mountain comes from Esmeralda's Jaramillo and Canas Verdes farms, blending Caturra and Catuai into a bean full of fruit aroma and sweetness.