2018 Panama BOP | Panama's Finest Coffee Estates | Crystal River Estate | Balala Estate

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Panama Mariposa | Esmeralda Special Geisha Blue Label

2018 Best Of Panama

Natural Geisha Category - 5th Place Auction Lot

(Estate Award History: 2011 BOP#4, 2012 BOP#3, 2013 BOP#4)

Panama Kotowa Rio Cristal Green Tip Geisha Natural

Country of Origin: Panama

Region: Chiriqui, Boquete, Palo Alto

Estate: Rio Cristal Kotowa

Estate Owner: Kotowa Family

Variety: Green Tip Geisha

Altitude: 1800m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Flavor Notes: Winey, Hami Melon, Mulberry, Dark Plum, Dark Chocolate

Rio Cristal Estate is located on the northeast side of Boquete, very close to the continental divide. It has a unique microclimate because the farm receives almost no Pacific rainfall from May to December, while most of the rainfall from January to February comes from the Atlantic. Rio Cristal is situated at 1800 meters but is close to the continental divide, with temperatures potentially lower than other areas at similar altitudes, dropping to around 9°C at night. Rio Cristal is located on the western slope of the continental divide and is typically very clear in the morning but slightly windy due to Atlantic influence.

The farm is managed based on ecological principles, without using herbicides or pesticides. Prepared fertilizers are used to compensate for soil acidity and nutrient levels, combining nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc, sulfur, and calcium during the growing process. These elements are particularly important during cherry ripening for the generation of floral and fruit aromas.

2018 Best Of Panama

Washed Geisha Category - 5th Place Auction Lot

Panama Boquete Hacienda Barbara Green Tip Geisha Washed

Country of Origin: Panama

Region: Chiriqui, Boquete, Jaramillo

Estate: Hacienda Barbara

Variety: Green Tip Geisha

Altitude: 1650m

Processing Method: Washed, Yeast Anaerobic Fermentation

Flavor Notes: Jasmine, Apricot, Bergamot, Lemon, Honey

2018 Best Of Panama

Natural Geisha Category - 13th Place Auction Lot

(Estate Award History: 2011 BOP#4, 2012 BOP#3, 2013 BOP#4)

Panama Boquete Casa Ruiz Baby Geisha Natural

Country of Origin: Panama

Region: Chiriqui, Boquete, Horqueta

Estate: Casa Ruiz

Variety: Baby Geisha

Altitude: 1675m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Flavor Notes: Peach, Strawberry, Grape, Dark Chocolate

Casa Ruiz Estate in Panama, established in 1920, is located in the Boquete region of the Baru Volcano, in the Boquete valley on the foothills of Baru Volcano in northwestern Panama. Mr. Plinio Antonio Ruiz Gonzalez and his wife Mrs. Elisa Aurora Arauz de Ruiz are the second-generation successors of this estate. They are mainly responsible for the trade of green coffee beans. Currently, they own three estates: La Berlina, Maunier, Panamaria, and a coffee shop called CAFE RUIZ.

Casa Ruiz established a cooperative in 1979, which is one of the famous cooperatives in the Boquete region of Baru Volcano. The headquarters is located in the valley on the foothills of Baru Volcano. The family has been passed down for three generations and now has cooperative relationships with over 300 small family farms and estates. Unlike other cooperatives that sacrifice the environment to increase planting area for higher yields, Casa Ruiz and its partners follow the environmentally friendly traditional methods of the Boquete region to grow coffee. In addition to being a frequent winner in the Best of Panama auctions, Casa Ruiz is also an important partner for Panama's specialty green coffee beans. As one of the outstanding estates in Best of Panama, it set a price of $20 per pound of green coffee beans at the 2004 international auction. In May 2004, it debuted at the Panama Cupping Competition and has since dominated the market. In 2013, it set a record high price of $350 per pound of green coffee beans.

Elida Estate - 2018 Best Of Panama Champion Estate

Panama Elida Estate Catuai Natural

Country of Origin: Panama

Region: Chiriqui, Boquete, Alto Quiel

Estate: Elida Estate

Estate Owner: Lamastus Family

Variety: Catuai

Altitude: 1700m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Flavor Notes: Winey, Peach, Berry, Dark Chocolate

Almost a century has passed since Robert Lamastus planted the first coffee tree at Elida Estate in 1918, and now it is managed by Mr. Wilford of the third generation of the Lamastus family.

Elida Estate ranges from 1700 to 2300 meters in altitude, with part of it located within the Volcan Baru National Park (VBNP), which is a refuge for rare plants, birds, and mammals. The estate has a total of 65 hectares, of which only 30 hectares are planted with coffee, including varieties such as Catuai, Geisha, and Typica. The remaining area is within the VBNP protected ecological reserve. Over the years, Wilford has continuously improved and refined batch management, offering high-quality Elida coffee in three processing methods: washed, honey, and natural; roasters from around the world select their favorite micro-batch Elida coffees based on cupping flavor profiles.

The flavor of Elida is produced under unique climate and geographical conditions for several reasons: Elida Estate is one of the highest altitude coffee farms in Panama, where coffee grows in rich young volcanic soil, with low ambient temperatures, and the planting area is surrounded by clouds and mist, avoiding direct exposure to sunlight during the dry season; wild trees in the primary tropical rainforest bring a large number of beneficial microorganisms, and cold nights extend the maturation cycle of coffee trees to four and a half to six and a half years (2-4 years longer than average); and these factors also extend the ripening time of coffee cherries by one month, all of which affect the flavor of the final coffee produced.

Volcan Baru National Park (VBNP) is one of the highest altitude volcanoes in Central America, covering 14,000 hectares and divided into seven different climate zones based on altitude. Both Elida and El Burro are part of it.

Panama El Burro Estate Catuai Natural

Country of Origin: Panama

Region: Chiriqui, Boquete

Estate: El Burro

Estate Owner: Lamastus Family

Variety: Catuai

Altitude: 1800m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Flavor Notes: Grape, Cherry, Cream, Dark Chocolate

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473