About This Coffee
The Lamastus family has been growing coffee at Elida Estate since 1918. Today, three generations of Lamastus men operate the farm: the grandfather, Thatcher, his son Wilford and his son Wilford Jr. They share a passion for producing high-quality coffees.
This lot is Geisha, a variety prized for its excellent cup quality. Geisha does particularly well in high altitudes in Panama, where growing conditions are similar to the Ethiopian highlands where it was first grown. Several Panama Geisha lots have won the Cup of Excellence and broken price records.
Cultivation
The estate is located near Volcan Baru Natioanl park, with part of the estate in the park itself. The park is a protected World Heritage site, ecological reserve and sanctuary for native plants, birds and animals, including a tropical tiger.
The area of the estate within the park is protected forest reserve. The remaining 35 hectares of the estate are planted with Catuai, Geisha and Typica.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively harvested and laid to dry on raised beds. If the weather is uncooperative, cherry may be dried in mechanical Guardiolas dryers. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying.
About Geisha
Geisha (also known as Gesha) is known for its exceptional cup quality, especially when grown at high altitudes. The variety comes from Ethiopian landrace coffees and was collected from Ethiopian coffee forests in the 1930s. The name supposedly derives from Ethiopia’s Gori Gesha forest.
There is some confusion with several genetically distinct varieties that have all been called Geisha, but the most famous variety is the Panama one. The variety was brought to Lyamungu research station in Tanzania and from there to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in 1953. At CATIE, the variety was logged as T2722. CATIE distributed T2722 across Panama in the 1960s for its Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) resistance, but its brittle branches meant it was not widely planted.
Panama Geisha reached its modern fame in 2005 when a Geisha lot won the “Best of Panama” competition and broke contemporary records at over $20/pound. DNA analysis has demonstrated that the Panama Geisha descended from T2722 is distinct and uniform. Today, Geisha is known for its delicate florals, jasmine and stone fruit.
Coffee in Panama
Though small in coffee production, Panama is a mighty player in coffee quality. In particular, Panama is famous for producing Geisha variety lots that have fetched prices exceeding $800 per pound. Today, its renown as a producer of rare and sought-after varieties positions Panama as a contender for a new kind of ‘coffee-tourism’ that has the potential to change the way we produce, purchase, consume and talk about specialty coffee on a global scale.
The high value of Geisha has brought out both the best and worst in the industry. For established producers who receive excellent prices for their Geisha and other lots, the high prices they receive have often been reinvested in their communities and in renovating their farms to be as environmentally sustainable as possible. Unfortunately, the lure of Geisha’s high value has led some people bypass traditional land purchasing agreements and illegally deforest areas of national parks to get the best location for new (and illicit) Geisha farms.
Even as the number of producers those receiving high prices for their Geisha remains relatively low, the blossoming coffee industry in Panama has demonstrated potential to raise incomes for a wider spectrum of producers and coffee workers.