Panama Elida Catuai Natural

Region: Boquete, Chiriqui
Altitude: 1,8500 masl
Process: Natural
Plant Varietal: Catuai
Tasting Notes: Strawberry, Mango, Toffee

Elida is producing some of the best, if not the best coffee in Panama today. While this cofee is their tradional varietal Catuai, they have set multiple world records for the #1 top ranked coffees in both the Geisha Washed and Geisha Processes categories in the Best of Panama competition. The Natural process Geisha set a new world record for coffee at auction, $1029 a pound green! And, adding to the credentials of this great farm, their two #1 wins were repeats from 2018. Wilford Lamastus and son Wilford Jr know every aspect of coffee growing, processing and cupping. Their farm is the highest elevation farm in Panama and they know every inch of it. This Catuai Natural is a superbly processed coffee, big and powerful, but very clean. The Lamastus family can grow and process Naturals like few others and the Catuai represents a very good value for the quality offered.

Elida Estate has been run by the Lamastus family for four generations, starting in 1918 when the founder of the farm, Robert Lamastus, bought property along the Baru Volcano. There are three farms in the Lamastus family: Elida Estate, El Burro Estate, and Luito Geisha Estate. With elevations between 5,500 and 8,200 feet above sea level, Elida is the highest coffee farm in Panama, although coffee is only grown between 5600 and 6200 feet. A large part of the farm is a dedicated ecological reserve area in Volcan Baru National Park, a world heritage site. Elida Estate is masterful at producing Natural processed coffees. They are to produce deeply fruity flavors, yet despite the intensity, there is finesse. The Lamastus family are excellent coffee cuppers, very unusual in the coffee growing world. Their palates enable them to develop, and in a sense customize, flavor profiles to the preferences of their customers, us in this case.