In the 2026 BOP Traditional Varieties category, the champion belongs to Altieri Estate, the runner-up is Hacienda La Esmeralda, and the third place is a lot that made the list with 92.38 points—it comes from Finca Santa Teresa, where owner Ezequiel Batista tends this old estate at the foot of Volcán Barú.
Finca Santa Teresa is located in the Volcán area of Chiriquí Province, right next to Panama's highest peak, Volcán Barú, with the farm ranging from about 1,400 to 1,800 meters above sea level. Adjacent to the estate is La Amistad International Park, a World Heritage Site jointly managed by Panama and Costa Rica. Primary forest, streams, and coffee plots interweave with one another, and squirrel monkeys and hundreds of bird species are often seen among the trees. The Isthmus of Panama is narrow, and the volcanic slopes where Finca Santa Teresa sits are influenced by air currents from both the Pacific and Atlantic sides at the same time. Abundant rainfall, fertile black volcanic soil, and the large day-night temperature swings at high altitude together shape the framework of this 92.38-point traditional variety. The microclimates carved out by valleys and ridges within the estate also give different plot lots their own distinct character.
Finca Santa Teresa invests heavily in environmental protection: production waste is recycled as fertilizer or fuel, and water sourcing and recycling are approved by local environmental authorities. The estate provides employees with free room and board, medical care, and education, and a school for employees' children has even been built on the grounds. This long-term commitment to the land and to people is also reflected in the consistent quality of the beans. Finca Santa Teresa's BOP track record is not short. As early as 2011, its washed Geisha took third place in its category; in 2013, its natural Geisha once again made the top three. In 2026, this estate stepped onto the podium with a traditional variety lot, once again putting on display the confidence that it can place without relying on Geisha.
From Geisha in 2011 to a traditional variety in 2026, Finca Santa Teresa has quietly grown coffee at the foot of Volcán Barú for more than a decade. The third-place seat with 92.38 points is a footnote to this cloud-shrouded estate's years of accumulation—and a reminder to everyone that Panama's good coffee has never had only one answer: Geisha.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
