What Sets Finca Lerida Coffee Apart in Panama's Boquete Region
Finca Lerida's latest cupping compares two beans from its Boquete estate in Panama: Washed Catuai and Natural Pacamara. The washed Catuai shows a clean, balanced profile with moderate acidity, mild sweetness, and fruity caramel notes, while the natural Pacamara brings clarity and depth with layered flavors and a price that is very expensive coffee territory, approaching top Geisha lots.
The estate dates to 1924, when Norwegian engineer Mnniche settled in Boquete and began cultivation coffee, developing a Sifon device for floating and layered bean selection. It first exported to Europe in 1929 and is now run by the Chiari family, whose forest protection supports over 500 bird species alongside the coffee.
Located in the Boquete production region of Panama, Finca Lerida has been a benchmark in the specialty coffee world since its founding in 1924 by Norwegian engineer Mr. and Mrs. Mnniche. This cupping focuses on two distinctly different bean varieties: Washed Catuai and Natural Pacamara. The Washed Catuai stands out for its clean and balanced profile, with moderate acidity and just the right sweetness, making it an all-around choice for daily drinking; while the Natural Pacamara displays astonishing clarity and depth, with complex and captivating flavors, its price already approaching that of top-tier Geisha. Front Street Coffee particularly recommends these two beans—they perform excellently whether light-roasted or dark-roasted, and are well worth savoring for coffee enthusiasts.
Panama Finca Lerida Washed Catuai
Country: Panama
Estate: Finca Lerida
Region: Boquete
Variety: Catuai
Processing Method: Washed
Cupping Report:
Finca Lerida is located in Panama's renowned Boquete coffee-producing region.
In 1924, Mr. and Mrs. Mnniche from Norway set foot here and were captivated by the region's picturesque and diverse natural scenery, deciding to settle down and begin coffee cultivation. Mnniche himself had an engineering background, and he noticed that coffee cherries often had inconsistent quality after harvesting, so he devoted himself to developing a device called Sifon for "floating and layered bean selection." Although this processing method is commonplace today, nearly a hundred years ago it was undoubtedly a pioneering feat.
In 1929, Finca Lerida first exported coffee to Europe, quickly establishing itself among the representatives of specialty coffee.
Today, the estate is managed by the Chiari family, which not only continues to cultivate high-quality coffee beans but also operates a nature eco-lodge. Thanks to the estate owner's careful protection and management of the primary forest, over 500 bird species inhabit the grounds, making it a well-known destination in Central America for birdwatching and outdoor eco-tourism.
This coffee is suitable for daily enjoyment, with a clean and delicate profile, mild acidity, just the right sweetness, and flavors that are not overly complex but extremely balanced in every aspect. It combines fruity and caramel notes and performs well whether light-roasted or dark-roasted, making it a truly all-around coffee.
Intensity/Flavor Profile: Medium intensity / Clean, balanced, medium acidity, caramel
Central America
Panama Finca Lerida PACAMARA Natural
Country: Panama
Estate: Finca Lerida
Region: Boquete
Variety: Pacamara
Processing Method: Natural
Cupping Report:
Finca Lerida is located in Panama's famous Boquete coffee-producing region. In 1924, Mr. and Mrs. Mnniche from Norway came here, marveling at the beautiful and diverse natural environment, and thus took root and began growing coffee. As an engineer, Mnniche found that coffee cherries often varied in quality after harvesting, so he researched and invented the Sifon device for "floating and layered bean selection."
Although this practice is now routine, nearly a hundred years ago it was absolutely a pioneering achievement.
In 1929, Finca Lerida began exporting coffee to Europe and soon became a model of fine coffee.
Today, the estate is run by the Chiari family, which in addition to growing premium coffee beans also operates a nature eco-lodge. Thanks to the estate owner's protection and management of the primary forest, over 500 bird species can currently be seen on the grounds, making it a famous hotspot in Central America for birdwatching and outdoor eco-activities.
Since this year, Pacamara's auction prices have rivaled those of the world's most expensive Geisha, and coffee lovers around the world have begun to take notice of this captivating variety—but this also means its price will continue to climb, just like Geisha did back then. Fortunately, we have a good relationship with the estate and can still secure extremely cost-effective lots, allowing our friends to enjoy high-quality coffee at a relatively affordable price.
This is a special tasting experience. The moment it enters your mouth, it creates an illusion that too much water was added—but actually it's because it's so clean, like tasting high-grade nigiri sushi: before you can even register the flavor, it has already melted in your mouth. Before your rational mind can react, your nervous system has already begun receiving the complex messages this coffee delivers—incredible depth, a captivating flavor combination, accompanied by natural fruit notes. This pure expression, balanced to the extreme, is hard to match with the citrus and berry notes popular in coffee today. In fact, many citrus- and berry-flavored coffees can be produced through fertilizers or post-harvest techniques (though some do occur naturally), whereas truly top-grade coffee relies on the trace elements and microclimates inherent to the land, refined by natural conditions. This is a truly remarkable coffee, absolutely worth trying～
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
