Coffee Estate - Panama Elida Estate Coffee

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Coffee origins are scattered around the world, mainly across several major regions: Central America, South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Yunnan in China. Estates in different regions produce coffee with different aromas and flavors because of differences in altitude, soil, temperature and rainfall. Much like the classification system for wine, specialty coffee emphasizes "traceability and transparency," letting us trace each bag of beans back to the specific estate where it was grown, along with detailed information about altitude, rainfall, soil, processing method and more. Let us take you into the estates to explore the growing environment of each coffee bean and the conditions that shape its flavor.

Central America: The Land of Premium Coffee

This time we are visiting Central America, the central region of the American continent south of Mexico and north of Colombia, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is a narrow landmass linking South and North America, made up of seven countries: Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

Elida Estate: Panama's Coffee Gem

Elida Estate is located in the Boquete region of Chiriquí Province, Panama's western border province. The province's most famous landmark and tourist destination is the 3,300-meter-high Barú Volcano, one of the highest volcanoes in Central America. Covering roughly 14,000 hectares, the volcano is divided into seven different microclimate zones by altitude. Within the volcanic area, many rare plants, birds and mammals live, and it is a designated national park where hunting and human development or destruction are prohibited.

Traveling to Elida via Salto

At the Elida family nursery

Estate owner Wilford Lamastus gets out of his vehicle to pick wild berries and tree tomatoes on the steep terrain.

Behind him are cash crops he can harvest and sell, which are even exported to Panama City, the capital, with reportedly excellent sales.

The Boquete region lies on the eastern side of Barú Volcano, in a valley formed by volcanic lava flow, next to another famous Panamanian coffee region, the Volcan Valley, separated by the volcano. Boquete has always been Panama's most prominent coffee-producing area, home to many world-renowned estates: Hacienda La Esmeralda, which became famous for the Geisha variety; Hartman Estate, a frequent winner at Best of Panama; Mama Cata Estate; Kotowa Estate; Santa Teresa Estate; and others. Elida Estate is itself a heavyweight star of the Boquete region, having won Best of Panama awards five years in a row, a record second only to Hacienda La Esmeralda.

Elida Estate covers 65 hectares in total, more than half of it within the Barú Volcano National Park. Of the estate's area, 30 hectares are planted with coffee trees and the remaining 35 hectares are preserved as virgin forest. The coffee is grown at altitudes of 1,700-2,000 meters, making it one of the two highest-altitude coffee estates in Panama (the other estate at a similar altitude is generally considered to be Carmen Estate, in the Volcan Valley).

Newly sprouted coffee seedlings

In such a high-altitude environment, low temperatures delay the ripening of the coffee cherries by about a full month compared with the normal season; meanwhile the fertile volcanic loam feeds the coffee generously, and the excellent microclimate created by Barú Volcano lets Elida Estate achieve consistently strong results in cupping competitions.

Elida's processing station sits midway between the nursery and the estate's upper grounds, essentially within the estate itself. The road conditions along the way are decent, with direct highway access, making it convenient for trucks to come in and transport coffee. The photo shows honey-processed parchment beans drying, with a simple processing facility and a storage area for parchment beans nearby.

Beyond creating excellent growing conditions, the Lamastus family, who run Elida Estate, plant many different native tree species on the property, providing shade for the coffee trees and a friendly habitat for birds. For fertilization, the family uses manual application and a small amount of chemical fertilizer, but never environmentally harmful pesticides or herbicides.

Ripe red coffee cherries

Today, in addition to varieties such as Catuai, Typica and Bourbon, the Lamastus family also began planting the Geisha variety several years ago. Even so, the lots Elida Estate enters in Best of Panama competitions all use the Catuai variety, yet they still achieve excellent results time after time — a clear demonstration of how the estate's geography and superior post-harvest processing bring exceptional quality and distinctive flavor to its coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee · Panama Elida Catuai

Estate Name: Elida Estate (ELIDA ESTATE COFFEE)

Country: Panama

Estate Location: Alto Quiel, Boquete

Annual Production: Approximately 400 bags (60 kg/bag)

Estate Area: 65 hectares (30 hectares planted with coffee, 35 hectares preserved as virgin forest)

Coffee Tree Age: Old planting area 40 years; others average 5 years

Altitude: 1,700-2,000 meters

Main Varieties: Catuai 85%, Typica and Bourbon 15%, a small amount of Geisha

Flowering Period: March, April, May

Harvest Period: January to April

Soil Type: Volcanic clay soil

Average Annual Precipitation: 2,400 mm

Processing Method: Natural

Dry Aroma: Dark berries, sweet fragrance, estate-level chocolate, floral notes, oily aroma

Wet Aroma: Honey sweetness, berry fragrance, black currant, red raspberry, various rich sweet and sour aromas

Flavor Profile: A distinct black berry flavor on entry, very clean and full-bodied, with a good oily texture, well-balanced sweet and sour notes, black currant, a high-altitude tomato flavor and cranberry, plus a persistent oily sensation.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Mention coffee from China and most people will hear the phrase "Yunnan small bean." Small bean is simply another name for Arabica, so called because it produces the smallest fruit of the three original coffee species. Coffee came to Yunnan in 1904, when the French missionary Tian Deneng brought seeds of the Typica variety from Vietnam and planted the first coffee tree in Zhugula village, Binchuan county. Yunnan's favorable geography and climate made the crop a success, and today the province grows coffee mainly across its southwest, in Baoshan, Dehong, Pu'er and Lincang. Coffee likes warmth, tolerates heat but not cold, and grows best with plenty of light, ideally at 16-21 degrees Celsius; that puts the golden coffee belt around the equator, spanning roughly 25 degrees north, and much of Yunnan falls right inside it, with elevations around 1,000 meters, fertile sloping soil, ample sun, plentiful rain and a wide day-night temperature swing.

For an entry into Chinese Arabica, start with FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan small bean from Baoshan. Baoshan's coffee history dates to the mid-1950s, when the patriotic overseas Chinese Liang Jinshan introduced the crop; the frost-free, warm climate suits small-bean coffee well, and the dry-hot river valley around Lujiangba in particular has a small annual temperature range but a wide day-night swing, which shapes Baoshan's distinctive sweet finish, while its reasonably low rainfall is a further advantage. FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan small bean is washed and medium roasted, highlighting a touch of caramel while keeping some acidity, so it expresses the terroir of Yunnan beautifully; washing removes the mucilage through fermentation and rinsing before drying, giving the small bean its characteristic regional flavor.

If you want a clearer, more defined Yunnan cup, buy FrontStreet Coffee's 2013 Yunnan sun-dried Typica. The Typica grown on the FrontStreet estate uses the most traditional green-bean processing method, natural sun-drying. Typica is one of the oldest and purest Arabica varieties, and after sun-drying FrontStreet's Typica is fuller-bodied and more sharply sweet-sour, with citrus and berry notes, a hint of fermented wine, caramel sweetness and a creamy finish. To taste Yunnan in an espresso, try the FrontStreet Coffee Black Cocoa Blend, a combination of Yunnan small bean and Brazil Cerrado that many baristas recommend: the Brazilian coffee supplies mixed-nut aroma and a balanced body, while the Yunnan small bean plays the role of chocolate and citrus. The resulting Americano balances sweet, sour and bitter with the sweet aroma of nuts and brown sugar, and as a latte it turns silky with almond and cream — very friendly to beginners.