How Does Panama BOP Champion Elida Estate Geisha Taste? How Many Plots Does Lamastus Elida Have?

As expected, at this year's Panama BOP Geisha auction, the champion Elida Estate natural Geisha set a new auction record with a staggering price of $10,013, becoming this year's top lot. This is not the first time Elida Estate has claimed victory; its collection of major awards is countless. So today, FrontStreet Coffee would like to share with you what exactly this repeatedly championship-winning Elida Estate is all about.

Elida Estate is the first-ever double champion of Geisha in BOP history, as well as the second estate with the most BOP championship wins in Panama (the first being Hacienda La Esmeralda). In 2018, Elida Estate officially became a century-renowned estate, as its establishment dates back to 1918, shortly after the opening of the Panama Canal.

In 1918, Robert Lamastus from Kentucky, USA, founded Elida Estate near the Baru Volcano in Boquete, Panama. The estate's name is something often emphasized when introducing Elida Estate, as Mr. Robert named it after his wife.

After establishing the estate, Mr. Robert focused on the production and cultivation of high-quality coffee. His passion for coffee seemed to be imprinted in his blood, continuously passed down through generations. Today, Elida Estate has been handed over to the fourth generation of the Lamastus family, with each generation expressing their passion for coffee in different ways. In recent years, the Lamastus family acquired a new high-altitude estate—Trompo Estate, which has become their fifth estate.

Although the Lamastus family owns five estates in Panama, only three are currently producing coffee. And each of these three estates is an extremely renowned Panamanian coffee estate! Besides our protagonist Elida Estate, there are also: Don Pini Estate and Luito Estate. Because the three estates are located in vastly different regions, their terroir environments for coffee cultivation vary considerably. It is precisely these differences that allow each estate's coffee to possess unique characteristics.

Focusing back on Elida Estate itself, Elida is the largest and highest-altitude farm among the three estates, covering an impressive area of 65 hectares! Although its total area is vast, the usable area for coffee cultivation is not as extensive. More than half of Elida Estate falls within the Baru Volcano National Park, where all trees are strictly protected from felling as a preserved natural environment.

As a result, only 30 hectares of the 65-hectare estate can be used for coffee cultivation. Despite this, the excellent growing environment (microclimate, volcanic soil, pristine ecosystem) and high altitude have established a solid foundation for the exceptional taste of Elida coffee. Of course, this wouldn't be possible without the Lamastus family's meticulous care and strict standards at every stage of coffee harvesting and processing. It is precisely because of this that the coffee produced by Elida Estate leaves a lasting impression and unforgettable aftertaste.

Over the years, Elida Estate has primarily cultivated three varieties: the old Typica, the new generation Catuai, and the current king of coffee—Geisha. Elida Estate was also among those impressed by the Geisha variety that Hacienda La Esmeralda showcased brilliantly at the BOP in 2004. Consequently, third-generation estate owner Wilford Lamastus, like other estate owners, embarked on the journey of Geisha cultivation. In the following year of 2005, both Elida Estate and Don Pini Estate began their Geisha cultivation.

It's worth noting that Elida Estate pays careful attention to the distribution of different varieties. Catuai is planted in areas below 1,650 meters, while Geisha is cultivated at higher elevations. As the planting altitude increases, temperatures become more challenging. Although this extends the growth cycle of Geisha, the beans can accumulate more flavorful compounds as a result.

Because the estate is situated on steep slopes with varying elevations and extensive area, Elida Estate has also divided its land into seven lots. From bottom to top, they are: Plano Lot, Falda Lot, Aguacate, Aguacatillo, Vuelta (the lot where this year's championship Geisha was produced), Loma Centro, and Torre Lot (the most award-winning lot). Due to differences in altitude and climate between lots, coffee from different lots exhibits distinct characteristics.

Because third-generation estate owner Wilford Lamastus pursues even higher quality in coffee, he spares no expense in investing significant manpower and time to achieve perfect coffee quality. When coffee cherries ripen to a burgundy color, workers mobilize quickly to harvest them, then promptly transport the coffee beans to the processing plant. Since the processing plant is located at the base of the estate, it takes less than half a day from when the fruit is picked to when it enters processing. This approach prevents premature fermentation of coffee cherries during extended transport times—simply put, it reduces unstable factors that could affect quality.

Speaking of Elida Estate's coffee processing methods, in addition to traditional natural, washed, and honey processing, they have also explored anaerobic processing methods. As third-generation estate owner Mr. Wilford Lamastus mentioned in an interview, as long as the processing method doesn't mask the inherent coffee flavors of Geisha, it's worth trying. That's why we often see actively participating anaerobically processed Elida coffee in major coffee competitions.

Returning to the topic, although Elida Estate uses conventional processing methods for their coffee, they have made certain adjustments in the processing steps. For example, their natural processing!

Traditional natural processing involves drying coffee cherries to a specific moisture content range using sun-drying methods, followed by hulling. Elida Estate, however, also stacks the coffee cherries to a certain thickness before beginning the natural drying process! The advantage of this approach is that it extends the drying time of the coffee cherries, allowing the beans themselves to undergo more fermentation, thereby developing richer flavor compounds.

Because FrontStreet Coffee also wanted to taste the deliciousness from a championship estate, we acquired a natural processed Elida Estate Geisha! This Geisha comes from the Falda Lot of Elida Estate at an altitude of 1,750 meters. Because the pronunciation of the English name "Falda" is very close to the Chinese word "fādá" (meaning prosperous), the Falda Lot acquired the nickname "Fada Lot" (Prosperous Lot). This Geisha has medium size and density, so it absorbs more heat during the roasting process, and the Maillard reaction tends to be faster. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee roasts it at a slower pace to allow this Geisha to perfectly develop its rich floral and fruity notes.

FrontStreet Coffee: Panama · Elida Estate Geisha
Country: Panama
Region: Boquete
Altitude: 1,750 meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing Method: Natural Process
Grade: SHB

Flavor: Pomegranate, honey peach, white floral notes, grape, black tea

After resting the roasted beans for 8 hours, FrontStreet Coffee immediately conducted a cupping. This Elida Geisha also exhibited rich white floral notes. The overall sweetness is exceptionally high, with aromas of pomegranate and peach! Furthermore, it possesses a rounded grape acidity, silky texture, and a distinctly tea-like aftertaste. Then, as the temperature decreases, the honey peach sweetness transforms into apricot, with an increasingly rich juiciness that is incredibly pleasant!

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