How to Brew Don Pepe Estate Washed Catuai Pour-Over Coffee: A Guide to Perfect Panama Coffee Brewing

Don Pepe Estate: One of Panama's Premier Coffee Plantations

Don Pepe Estate sits on the slopes of the Baru Volcano in Panama's Boquete region at an altitude of 1,600m. With an average temperature around 21°C and annual rainfall of 2,950mm, the fertile volcanic soil gives coffee from this region its rich acidity.

In Panama's humid cloud forests, this pristine land - approaching 1,900m at its highest reaches - and its fertile soil have been tended for over 100 years and passed down through the generations, producing high-quality coffee. This is the home of Don Pepe Estate, where five generations of passionate coffee farmers have carried the work forward, reaching peaks of quality and production through the skill of the late Antonio Vásquez, affectionately remembered as Don Tony.

To achieve and maintain bean quality, Don Pepe produces only "pure varieties," planting each variety separately to reach the highest quality cup. Varieties grown at Don Pepe include Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Typica, Java, and Geisha. The beans benefit from a year-round microclimate - average temperatures of 21°C and rainfall of 2,950mm - combined with volcanic soil to produce extraordinary aromas and flavors.

The estate follows strict environmentally friendly processes and uses the latest low-water-consumption production equipment. It was originally planted by Don Enrique Vásquez, a pioneer and founder of the town and of coffee cultivation there in 1898.

For more than four generations since, Don Tony supplied high-quality coffee to some of the world's best roasters. He also set aside 10% of the land to preserve the first-growth tropical rainforest. With his environmental vision and quality-focused production, Don Pepe will continue to grow and produce some of the world's finest coffee for generations to come.

This particular lot is a Panama washed Catuai that wins on aroma. It comes from Don Pepe Estate, the 7th place winner in the 2018 Best of Panama (BOP) Geisha category. Silky and balanced, thick and full-bodied - malt and roasted brown rice, dark chocolate roasted almonds: warm, soothing aromatic profiles, perfect as autumn arrives.

Don Pepe is one of Panama's most famous estates, planting coffee since 1898 - 120 years of history and experience. Situated on the slopes of the Baru Volcano in Boquete at 1,600m, with superior ecology, a suitable climate, abundant rainfall, and fertile volcanic soil, it produces coffee of full, rich aroma and flavor.

How to Brew Panama [Don Pepe Estate Washed Catuai]

FrontStreet Coffee's pour-over reference: weigh 15g of [Don Pepe Estate Washed Catuai] and grind to medium - slightly coarser than table salt. We use grinder setting 5R (60% pass rate on the standard sieve), water temperature 90°C, brewed on a V60 dripper.

Pour hot water from the kettle in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the coffee bed. Start timing when brewing begins; pour to 30g within 15 seconds, then stop. At the 1-minute mark, begin the second pour, again clockwise circles around the center. Keep the stream away from where the coffee bed meets the filter paper to avoid channeling.

When you reach the outermost circle of coffee, leave one circle of margin, then spiral back toward the center circle by circle. At 2 minutes 20 seconds the coffee should reach 220g - brewing complete.

Cold Brew [Don Pepe Estate Washed Catuai]

FrontStreet Coffee's cold brew reference:

Panama [Don Pepe Estate Washed Catuai], light-medium roast, grinder setting 4B (grinding level 3), 20g of beans, an 83°C water bloom for 3 minutes, brewed in a Chemex, then finished with ice water for a total water volume of 200ml.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the mystique of Panama coffee has you hooked, nothing expresses it like Geisha. FrontStreet Coffee's Boquete Washed Geisha is the ideal entry point - estate-level beans grown at 1,600m on Barú's volcanic soils, offering jasmine florals, green tea, honey, and citrus at an approachable price. For the full legend, FrontStreet's Esmeralda Red Label Geisha (Esmeralda Special) grows at 1,600-1,800m, cups above 90 points, and comes from single named plots such as Jaramillo. Brew either on a V60 at 1:15 with 90°C water, exactly as described above, and the classic Panamanian "orange-blossom honey" character unfolds in the cup.