How Does Roasting Process Shape Panama Elida Coffee?

Finca Elida in Panama's Boquete region grows a Natural Typica at 1,850 meters, managed by the Lamastus family for over a century. About 90 to 92C water, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a three-stage pour with a V60 dripper unlock layers of peach, raisin, orange, and sucrose in the cup.

The roasting process and brewing parameters matter here because the bean's terroir, estate history, and Typica variety all feed into its flavor logic. Boquete sits near the Baru Volcano, where cold air converging along the central mountain range above 6,500 feet creates varied microclimates. Attention often stays on Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha, but Elida shows the region's range.

Panama specialty coffee isn't only about Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha—Finca Elida in the Boquete region is equally outstanding. Front Street Coffee particularly recommends this Panama Elida Natural Typica, grown at an ultra-high elevation of 1,850 meters and managed by the Lamastus family for over a century. This article will provide a complete analysis of the flavor logic of this bean, from the terroir of the region, the history of the estate, the characteristics of the green bean variety, the roasting curve, to the actual brewing parameters. Front Street will focus on sharing the recommended water temperature for pour-over—90 to 92°C, a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, and a three-stage pour with a V60 dripper—to help you fully unlock the layers of peach, raisin, orange, and sucrose.

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Front Street knows well that Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee has an extremely strong appeal, thanks to the region's excellent climate conditions and the Geisha variety grown there, which is why it is so highly sought after. However, Front Street believes that if you only fix your eyes on Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha when drinking Panama coffee, you'll miss many equally outstanding beans. Panama's famous estates are far more than just Esmeralda—Finca Elida's performance is equally impressive. Front Street here recommends a Panama Elida Natural Typica. As for why Front Street so highly praises Finca Elida, the reason lies in...

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Panama Finca Elida Natural Typica

Panama Elida Estate

Region: Boquete, Panama

Estate: Finca Elida

Elevation: 1,850 meters

Variety: Typica

Processing method: Natural

01 | Region Introduction

Boquete Region

Boquete is a town under the jurisdiction of Chiriqui Province, located near the border between Panama and Costa Rica, adjacent to the famous Baru Volcano. It has beautiful scenery, fertile and deep soil, and both its climate and soil conditions are highly suitable for producing high-quality coffee.

The microclimate of Panama's Boquete highlands is the key and unique resource behind Boquete's specialty coffee. Panama's east-to-west geography causes cold air currents to converge along the central mountain range at elevations above 6,500 feet, thereby creating diverse microclimates around Boquete. Both temperature and rainfall are highly suitable for plant growth, so the coffee trees here grow exceptionally well.

02 | Estate Introduction

Panama's Elida Estate is located in Boquete, a renowned specialty coffee region of Panama. Elida Estate covers a total area of 65 hectares, more than half of which lies within the boundaries of Baru Volcano National Park. Only 30 hectares within the estate are used for cultivating coffee trees, while the rest remains as primary forest.

Coffee cultivation extends from 1,670 meters to 1,850 meters in elevation, making it one of the two highest-altitude coffee estates in Panama (the other estate with an equivalent elevation is Carmen Estate in the Volcan Valley). In such a high-altitude environment, low temperatures cause the coffee cherries to mature later—about a full month later than the normal ripening period. The fertile volcanic soil provides ample nutrients for the coffee, and combined with the excellent microclimate brought by Baru Volcano, Elida Estate has repeatedly achieved outstanding results in cupping competitions.

Elida Estate mainly grows three varieties: Catuai, Typica, and Geisha. The estate's processing plant is located halfway up the mountain, so after picking, the coffee can be transported to the factory for processing immediately, ensuring the quality of the coffee cherries is not affected. Of course, Elida's environment is also suitable for growing other high-quality temperate crops, especially tree tomatoes and some uncommon high-altitude fruits. Interestingly, the flavors of these fruits can often be captured in Elida's coffee.

Finca Elida is the most famous estate of the Lamastus family, founded in 1918. From the time Robert Lamastus, founder of the Lamastus family coffee estate, planted the first coffee tree, a century has passed, and it has witnessed the global spread of specialty coffee. To this day, Finca Elida is still passed down by the descendants of the Lamastus family, including estate owner Mr. Wilford, Wilford's father Thatcher, and Wilford's son—the fourth-generation successor Wilford Jr. As a traditional coffee family, coffee has long been embedded in their family genes. Wilford was born on a small coffee farm, and his parents were also born on coffee farms. Currently, the coffee produced by the estate comes from Elida Estate, El Burro Estate, and Luisito Estate.

In addition to the exceptional ultra-high elevation and microclimate, estate owner Mr. Wilford has also invested considerable effort in harvesting and processing. To achieve the highest standards, Elida Estate's coffee is only allowed to be hand-picked from the ripest cherries (Ripe on Pinton). The high degree of ripeness means the pectin naturally contains high sugar content, which is also the foundation for Elida's high-quality flavor.

In addition to being extremely strict about coffee cultivation and processing, estate owner Mr. Wilford is also more rigorous than his peers in the "purification" stage after green bean processing. Taking Panama Elida as an example, after green bean processing is completed, it requires more than 5 months of low-temperature resting to remove greenness, which allows the coffee flavor to develop more balanced and full. (Low-temperature resting is a green bean purification concept vigorously promoted by coffee master George Howell starting in 2006. Front Street has found that while green beans from subtropical regions certainly need low-temperature storage, different processing methods and elevations will change the time required for low-temperature resting. For Panama Elida, 5 months of low-temperature resting is optimal.)

The oldest coffee estate in Panama's history and one of the highest-altitude estates in the Boquete region, it is an estate that grows Geisha at ultra-high elevation (2,050m). It has not only won the BOP championship multiple times, but is also the holder of the BOP cupping score record (in 2018, Elida's Green Tip Washed Geisha broke the 2016 BOP record of 94.15 with an ultra-high score of 94.66 for Elida's Green Tip Washed Geisha).

03 | Front Street Elida Estate Green Bean Analysis

Typica is one of the oldest varieties of Arabica coffee discovered to date, along with Bourbon. The Arabica species originated in Ethiopia, and the species still grows naturally in the highlands of the local primary rainforest. Typica beans are slender, the tree is tall, the cherries are oval-shaped, and the branches are slightly inclined. Typica has four long, spreading branches with an inclination angle of 50 to 70 degrees. The coffee yield per tree is very low, but the cupping score is very high.

04 | Front Street Elida Estate Roasting Analysis

Because a lower bean-charging temperature is used, the flavor won't be as clean and intense as when charging at high temperature, but the advantage is that the mouthfeel will be very soft and smooth. Since the development time after first crack is very short, the heat must be sufficient; otherwise, the target drop temperature won't be reached, and the degree of caramelization will be insufficient. Front Street will use a coasting operation—this is what most roasting beginners ask about. Actually, the coasting action is simply lowering the heat or turning off the flame, using the drum's temperature to continue roasting the beans. Throughout the roasting process, the beans are absorbing heat; only first crack and second crack are exothermic actions. During these two stages, it's best not to increase the heat, otherwise the beans easily develop a spicy sensation.

Coasting emphasizes that with the flame turned off, using the drum's residual heat and the temperature generated by the beans releasing heat during the cracking phase, the roasted beans continue to roast slowly.

Roaster: Yangjia 600g semi-direct fire

Charge when the drum temperature reaches 170°C, set airflow to 3, adjust heat to 140°C after 30 seconds, airflow unchanged, turning point at 1'25'', adjust heat once at 140°C. At this point the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, dehydration is complete, adjust heat to 110°C, adjust airflow to 4;

At 8'45'', ugly wrinkles and dark streaks appear on the bean surface, and the toast aroma clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, you need to listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack starts at 9'07'', reduce heat to 90°C, adjust airflow to 4 (be very careful when adjusting heat—don't reduce it so much that there is no crackling sound). 1'45'' after first crack, drop at 190°C.

Cupping:

Dry aroma: caramel, roasted almond, floral

Wet aroma: jackfruit, fermented wine aroma

Mouthfeel: smooth on entry, with obvious flavors of raisin, peach, orange, melon, sucrose, and caramel, green tea-like tea sensation, high cleanliness.

05 | Front Street Elida Brewing Analysis

Considering that Front Street Elida Typica is mainly floral and fruity, the recommended brewing method is: pour-over. Grind size: fine sugar (80% passing through a No. 20 sieve), V60 dripper, 15g coffee, water temperature 90–92°C, coffee-to-water ratio close to 1:15.

Bloom with 30g water for 30s. Stages: pour to 120ml and stop, then slowly pour to 225ml, i.e., 30-120-225.

[Front Street Panama Elida Natural Typica] Flavor and mouthfeel: On entry, you can clearly perceive the flavors of peach, raisin, and orange; gradually, the sweetness of sucrose and melon emerges, and the finish carries the flavors of grapefruit and a green tea-like tea sensation.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.