Introduction to Elida, Don Pepe, and Luisito Estates: 2024 BOP Best Producer Award Winners

Panama Coffee: Global Recognition and Geographic Advantages

Panama coffee enjoys exceptionally high recognition in the global coffee market. Beyond its fame for the renowned Geisha variety, that reputation is inseparable from the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP), which designed and organizes BOP, the Best of Panama competition.

Since the first BOP in 1996, Panama has consistently produced high-quality coffee that fetched premium prices at subsequent auctions, giving Panamanian producers greater exposure on the international stage and building their reputation. By 2005, Geisha emerged with its exceptional flavor and performance, propelling the variety to instant fame.

The ability to cultivate premium coffee is also inseparable from Panama's geography. The whole country features varied terrain with numerous valleys. Apart from the coastal plains, most areas are mountainous. Panama has abundant forest and river resources, multiple volcanoes, and proximity to the equator, giving it a tropical maritime climate. Days are humid while nights are cool, with average annual temperatures between 23°C and 27°C and average annual rainfall of 1,500-2,500 mm. Its geography produces complex, variable microclimates, all of which provide ideal growing conditions for coffee trees.

Coffee Growing Regions

The main coffee growing regions are divided into Boquete, Volcan-Candela, and Renacimiento.

Boquete can be considered Panama's most renowned coffee growing region, home to numerous famous estates. At the 2024 Best of Panama, a new Producer of the Year award was introduced, and it went to the Lamastus family. The family owns Elida Estate, El Burro Estate, and Luito Estate, all three located in the Boquete region.

Notable Coffee Estates

Elida Estate

The farm's history can be traced back to 1918. It is owned by the Lamastus family, and the name Elida comes from the name of farm founder Robert Louis Lamastus's wife at the time. It is currently inherited by his son, Wilford Lamastus.

Elida Estate covers a total area of 65 hectares, more than half of it within Baru Volcano National Park. Of the 65 hectares, 30 are planted with coffee trees while the remaining 35 consist of primary forest. The coffee grows at altitudes from 1,670 to 1,850 meters, making it one of the two highest-altitude coffee estates in Panama. The estate primarily cultivates premium varieties such as Geisha, Typica, and Caturra. At this year's BOP, Elida Estate's Geisha won the natural process category with a score of 95.13 points.

El Burro Estate

This estate was established by Amado Boutet, grandfather of the current Lamastus family successor, Mr. Wilford Lamastus. Because coffee market prices were depressed at the time, his grandfather once considered selling the estate. Mr. Wilford and his brother Patrick Lamastus could not bear to see the family's coffee estate sold, so they purchased El Burro Estate to continue its operation. The original site was a livestock farm, which is why it was named "El Burro," meaning The Donkey.

The estate sits in the southern part of the region, at elevations between 1,550 and 1,800 meters, and covers approximately 50 hectares. Of that, 20 hectares are planted with Geisha and Catuai and 10 are reserved for future planting, while the remaining area consists of protected primary forest within Baru Volcano National Forest Park, preserving the original forest ecosystem.

Luito Estate

Luito Estate is owned by Luito Lamastus, brother of Elida Estate owner Wilford Lamastus. It is the northernmost coffee plantation in Boquete, located near the mountains, with part of the estate inside La Amistad International Park.

The estate is relatively small, only 5 hectares, at elevations between 1,600 and 1,750 meters, and grows only the Geisha variety. The rainfall pattern in the area is very unusual, with sufficient rain during the dry season allowing coffee to grow year-round. Because of the rainfall and microclimate, this farm's flowering period differs from most farms in Boquete.

FrontStreet Coffee Panama Elida Estate Catuai

Origin: Boquete Region
Altitude: 1,850 meters
Variety: Catuai
Processing: Natural
Flavor Notes: Peach, raisin, orange, caramel, green tea

This Catuai from Panama's Elida Estate, offered by FrontStreet Coffee, is natural processed and lightly to medium roasted. We brew it with a V60 at a 1:15 ratio and 92°C. After brewing, the cup is smooth with distinct peach, raisin, orange, and caramel flavors, complemented by a green tea-like finish and a clean mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the story of Boquete's top estates has you wanting to taste Panama's most celebrated output, FrontStreet Coffee Esmeralda Red Label Geisha is the place to start. Grown at 1,600-1,800 meters, it is officially called "Esmeralda Special," with each lot required to cup above 90 points and every batch numbered and drawn from a single plot, so buyers can choose according to subtle flavor preferences.

FrontStreet Coffee Esmeralda Green Label Geisha, originally named "Private Collection," blends lots from multiple plots rather than emphasizing a single one, and expresses the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha flavor at a friendlier price. If you want a gentler entry point to Panama Geisha, FrontStreet Coffee Boquete Geisha is an entry-level option that still delivers the classic orange-honey sweetness, oolong tea character, and delicate fruit acidity in distinct layers.