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FrontStreet Coffee - Panama Elida Coffee Estate Introduction

Coffee Details

Name: Elida Natural

Region: Boquete

Estate: Elida

Varieties: Catuai 85%, Typica & Bourbon 15%, Geisha (small amount)

Processing Method: Natural

Altitude: Above 1800 meters

Soil Type: Volcanic clay

Flavor Notes: Tropical fruits, spices, nuts, milk chocolate

Estate History

The farm's history can be traced back to 1918. This farm belongs to the Lamastus family, and the farm's name Elida comes from the name of the farm owner Robert Louis Lamastus's wife at that time. Elida Estate is located in the Boquete region, with the estate's altitude being almost the highest in all of Panama, and nearly half of its area is within a national protection park, making it a rare ultra-high altitude estate in Central America!

Elida Estate covers a total area of 65 hectares, with more than half located within the Baru Volcano National Park range. Of the estate, 30 hectares are planted with coffee trees, while the remaining 35 hectares are pristine forest. Coffee is cultivated at altitudes ranging from 1670 to 1850 meters, making it one of the two highest altitude coffee estates in Panama (the other estate with such altitude should be Carmen Estate located in the Volcan Valley).

Unique Growing Conditions

Baru is a rugged young volcano with an altitude exceeding 3400 meters and belongs to the active volcano category. Due to the large temperature difference between morning and evening, coffee at Elida Estate requires 5 years of care after sowing before the first harvest can be obtained - the waiting period for harvest is quite long (coffee in typical regions only takes 3 years). Although plant growth is slower, it actually helps greatly with the development of coffee flavor.

After entering the harvest period, due to temperature conditions, coffee maturation often exceeds one month. When uncontrollable factors such as hurricanes or heavy rains occur just before maturation, although it's known that significant losses will result, because the beans have not reached the estate's harvesting standards, they refuse to harvest prematurely, leading to reduced yields! The risks are actually much greater than those of lower altitude estates.

Coffee Varieties and Processing

Elida Estate mainly grows three varieties: Catuai, Typica, and Geisha. The estate's processing plant is located halfway up the mountainside, allowing coffee to be transported to the factory for processing immediately after picking to ensure the quality of coffee beans is not affected. Of course, Elida's environment is also suitable for cultivating other quality temperate crops, especially tree tomatoes and some uncommon high-altitude fruits. Interestingly, the flavors of these fruits can often be found in Elida's coffee as well.

Quality Standards

In addition to the unique ultra-high altitude and microclimate, the estate owner Mr. Wilford has put considerable effort into harvesting and processing. To achieve the highest standards, Elida Estate's coffee is only allowed to be hand-picked from the most mature coffee cherries (Ripe on Pinton). The high maturity of the fruit naturally leads to higher sugar content in the pectin, which is the foundation for Elida's excellent flavor.

Besides being extremely strict about coffee cultivation and processing, Mr. Wilford is also more rigorous than industry peers in the "purification" of green beans after processing. For Panama Elida, after green bean processing is completed, it needs to undergo more than 5 months of low-temperature resting to remove greenness, allowing the coffee's flavor to develop more balanced and fully. (Low-temperature resting is a green bean purification concept strongly promoted by coffee master George Howell starting in 2006. We found that green beans from subtropical regions indeed need to be stored at low temperatures, but different processing methods and altitude levels will change the low-temperature resting time. For Panama Elida, 5 months of low-temperature resting is optimal.)

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