Located near the Barú Volcano in Boquete, Panama, Elida Estate was founded by Robert Lamastus in 1918 and named after his wife. For over a century, the Lamastus family has passed down their passion for coffee from generation to generation, and it is now in the hands of the fourth generation, with the addition of El Burro Estate as the family's fifth farm. The Elida Natural Geisha roasted by Front Street Coffee shows in cupping a rich layering of pomegranate, peach, white florals, grape, and black tea, with extremely high sweetness, rounded acidity, a silky mouthfeel, and a pronounced tea-like finish. This article will take you through the historical trajectory and flavor expression of this legendary estate. [more…]

In 2024, the Best of Panama (BOP) introduced the Best Producer of the Year award for the first time, which was won by the Lamastus family, whose three estates—Elida, El Burro, and Luito—are all located in the Boquete region. This article will guide you through the background of Panama coffee's rise, the development of the BOP competition, and the history, altitude conditions, cultivated varieties, and terroir characteristics of these three estates, along with a brewing and flavor reference for Front Street Coffee's Elida Estate Catuai beans. [more…]

In August 2026, the 30th Best of Panama awards were held in Boquete. Elida Estate took first place in the washed Geisha category with a score of 96.25, which was also the highest score of the entire competition, while its natural Geisha placed third with 95.25. For Lama [more…]

At the 2024 Panama BOP Geisha auction, Elida Estate's natural Geisha once again set a new record with a sky-high price of $10,013 per pound, claiming the top lot. This century-old renowned estate is not reaching the summit for the first time; it is not only the first double-crown Geisha champion in BOP history, but also second only to Hacienda La Esmeralda in number of wins. Elida Estate was founded in 1918 and has now been passed down to the fourth generation of the Lamastus family. In addition to Elida, the family also owns well-known plots such as El Burro Estate and Luisito Estate, and in recent years has even purchased the high-altitude El Toro Estate. Front Street Coffee cupped this champion bean this time, and it displayed the captivating flavors of pomegranate, peach, white floral notes, and black tea. This article will give you a comprehensive understanding of Elida Estate's history, plot distribution, and flavor performance. [more…]

Elida Estate is one of the most prestigious coffee estates in Panama, belonging to the Lamastus family. Since its founding, Mr. Robert has made producing high-quality coffee his core pursuit, and this passion has been passed down through generations, now continuing into the family's fourth generation. In recent years, the Lamastus family has acquired El Burro Estate, bringing the number of estates under its umbrella to five, though only three actually produce coffee: besides Elida, there are also El Burro Estate and Elida Estate Luis Quiel, each with its own distinctive character shaped by differences in terroir. Elida covers 65 hectares, more than half of which lies within the protected area of Barú Volcano National Park, where logging is prohibited, leaving an actual planted area of about 30 hectares. The superior microclimate, volcanic soil, and high altitude, combined with the family's strict control over harvesting and processing, give Elida coffee its unique flavor. This article will also share the cupping performance of Front Street Coffee's Panama Elida Estate Natural Geisha. [more…]

In the Boquete production region of Panama, there is a coffee estate about to celebrate its centennial—El Burro Estate. Founded in 1925 by French immigrant Aristides Boutet, it now belongs to the Lamastus family and shares the same lineage as the famous Elida Estate. El Burro Estate enjoys the fertile soil and unique microclimate brought by Baru Volcano, providing excellent growing conditions for varieties such as Geisha. This article will take you through the history and terroir advantages of El Burro Estate, and guide you in tasting the sun-dried Geisha from Front Street, experiencing the captivating flavors of green grapes, apricots, and floral notes. [more…]

Located in the Boquete production region of Panama, Elida Estate is a renowned specialty coffee estate under the Lamastus family with a history spanning over a century. Its high altitude and volcanic soil give rise to coffee of exceptional quality. This article focuses on the estate's Natural Typica coffee beans, introducing in turn the terroir of the Boquete region, the background of Elida Estate, and details of cultivation and processing. It also combines Front Street Coffee's green bean analysis, roasting records, and cupping performance, and finally offers brewing suggestions for siphon and pour-over, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of this bean's flavor profile. [more…]

The Boquete region of Panama has nurtured many world-renowned coffee estates, and El Burro Estate is one of them, soon to enter its centennial history. The estate was founded in 1925 by French immigrant Aristides Boutet, and was later acquired and managed by the Lamastus family due to family ties. Its unique geographical location—near the Baru Volcano mountain range—gives the coffee excellent terroir conditions. The estate mainly cultivates Geisha and Catuai, and in recent years has achieved repeated success in the Best of Panama competition; in 2016, Japan's Maruyama Coffee even won the world championship with El Burro Estate Geisha. Front Street Coffee is now bringing a naturally processed El Burro Estate Geisha, using a medium-light roast, whose cupping reveals a rich layering of green grape, apricot, orange, dried longan, and floral notes intertwined. This article will take you deeper into the history, terroir, and unique flavor of El Burro Estate's Geisha. [more…]

Shortly after the 2022 BOP results were announced, the Lamastus family's independent auction once again set a new record for the world's most expensive coffee. Just 7 pounds of honey-processed Geisha from Elida Estate's Aguacatillo lot sold for $6,034 per pound, totaling over $42,000. The entire auction saw 1,762 pounds of Geisha fetch a total of $601,000. Meanwhile, the 2022 BOP top lot auction will kick off on October 7, and whether it can break the record again is drawing close attention. Front Street Coffee will also continue to track the price developments of this top-tier Geisha. [more…]

In the Boquete production region of Panama, there are two estates whose names sound extremely similar—Hacienda La Esmeralda and Elida Estate. Wait, that's not right. Let me reconsider. The estates are "驴子庄园" (Donkey Estate) and "骡子庄园" (Mule Estate). Both produce high-quality Geisha, yet they have completely different family backgrounds and historical origins. Front Street Coffee takes you through the ins and outs of these two famous estates one by one: Donkey Estate belongs to the Lamastus family, is managed by Wilford Lamastus, is located on the southwestern slope of Baru Volcano, and mainly cultivates Geisha and Catuai; Mule Estate was purchased by "Godfather of Geisha" Willem Boot in 2005, and got its name because he visited by riding a mule. Although small in area, it has won numerous awards. This article will compare the two estates' founding stories, terroir conditions, and cultivation details to help coffee lovers clarify these two easily confused Panamanian specialty estates. [more…]

In the Boquete production region of Panama, there is a legendary estate named after the estate owner's wife—Elida Estate. Since its founding by Robert Lamastus in 1918, four generations of the Lamastus family have remained committed to the cultivation and production of high-quality coffee, and today they have even expanded their holdings to the family's fifth estate, Trompo Estate. In 2017, Elida Estate's Geisha Natural competition lot won the Best of Panama award, and Front Street Coffee conducted a cupping immediately after completing the roast. This coffee displays rich layers of pomegranate, peach, white floral notes, grape, and black tea, with extremely high sweetness, rounded acidity, a silky mouthfeel, and a pronounced tea-like finish. As the temperature changes, the flavor transitions from peach sweetness to apricot, and the juicy quality becomes increasingly full. This article will take you deeper into the history and heritage of this century-old estate and the complete flavor expression of this competition lot. [more…]

Panama's Elida Estate is located in the Boquete production region, enjoying the superior microclimate and ultra-high-altitude growing conditions of Baru Volcano National Park, and is a renowned specialty coffee estate passed down through a century by the Lamastus family. This article will introduce the estate one by one, from its growing environment, coffee varieties, harvesting standards, post-processing procedures, to the low-temperature resting process for green beans, and will analyze the causes of Elida coffee's unique flavor. It also includes Front Street Coffee's recommended brewing parameters and flavor description for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Elida Estate in the Boquete region of Panama is one of the most representative specialty coffee estates under the Lamastus family, renowned worldwide for its ultra-high altitude and meticulous processing techniques. This article focuses on Elida Estate's sun-dried Typica coffee beans, providing an in-depth analysis covering the growing region's terroir, estate history, variety characteristics, green bean analysis, roasting curves, cupping, and brewing parameters. Typica, as one of the oldest Arabica varieties, showcases a smooth and richly layered flavor profile in Elida's high-altitude microclimate and volcanic soil, while the sun-dried processing further adds fermented wine aromas and tropical fruit notes. Whether you are a newcomer just getting into specialty coffee or a seasoned enthusiast looking for your next daily staple bean, this content combining knowledge and practical guidance is well worth reading. [more…]

Located in the Boquete production region of Panama, Elida Estate is a century-old coffee legacy passed down through the Lamastus family. With an altitude of up to 1,850 meters, the estate enjoys a unique microclimate and fertile volcanic soil, providing excellent growing conditions for coffee. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of Elida Estate's history, the characteristics of the Typica variety, meticulous green bean processing and roasting techniques, and share Front Street Coffee's brewing suggestions. From the rich layers of caramel and roasted almond to raisin and peach in the cupping notes, it will take you to appreciate the unique flavor charm of this sun-dried Typica. [more…]

In the Boquete region of Panama, two Geisha estates named after animals are often confused with each other—El Burro Estate and Finca La Mula. Both are located around the Baru Volcano in Chiriqui Province, yet each has its own unique family heritage and cultivation story. Front Street Coffee guides you through the century-long history of the Lamastus family, into El Burro Estate and Finca La Mula, to understand how altitude, microclimate, and volcanic soil shape Geisha flavor, and shares Front Street's firsthand tasting experience of El Burro Estate's natural-process Geisha, providing coffee lovers with a clear guide to distinguishing these famous estates. [more…]

On the map of Panamanian specialty coffee, the Boquete region brings together many top Geisha estates, among which El Burro (Donkey Estate) and La Mula (Mule Estate) are often confused due to their similar Chinese translated names. El Burro belongs to the century-old coffee family Lamastus, located on the southwestern slope of Baru Volcano, where high-altitude volcanic soil nurtures a natural Geisha with outstanding sweetness; La Mula was founded in 2005 by the "Godfather of Geisha" Willem Boot, and although small in area, it has repeatedly won awards. Front Street Coffee takes you through the historical origins, terroir conditions, and cultivation details of the two estates one by one, and shares tasting experiences, helping you clearly distinguish these two coffee-famous estates with similar names but each with its own merits. [more…]

Panama specialty coffee is world-renowned for varieties such as Geisha, and the Boquete region is home to a concentration of star estates. This article takes you deep into Panama's common coffee varieties, the flavor innovations brought by dry and honey processing, and focuses on Elida Estate—a legendary estate that has been a frequent winner at Best of Panama over the past five years. From the fertile volcanic soil at altitudes of 1,670 to 1,850 meters, to the Lamastus family's commitment to ecology and quality, Elida has achieved repeated success with the Catuai variety, demonstrating the perfect combination of terroir and processing craft. Front Street Coffee will also recommend Panamanian coffees worth paying attention to. [more…]

In the specialty coffee landscape, Panama rose to fame with Gesha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, but those who truly understand coffee know that this land has far more than one excellent estate. Elida Estate, as a century-old gem passed down through the Lamastus family, likewise produces stunning coffee. In this article, Front Street Coffee will take you deep into a Natural Typica from Elida Estate in the Boquete region of Panama, offering a comprehensive analysis of this bean's unique charm—from the terroir of the producing region, the estate's history, and varietal characteristics to the roasting curve and cupping performance—and sharing practical brewing parameters and techniques so that you can recreate its peach, raisin, and sugarcane sweetness at home. [more…]

In this year's Panama BOP Geisha auction, Elida Estate's natural Geisha set a new record at $10,013 per pound, becoming the top lot. This is not the estate's first time at the top—it has won the BOP championship multiple times and was the first-ever double champion in Geisha history, with a number of wins second only to Hacienda La Esmeralda. Elida Estate was established in 1918 and officially upgraded to a century-old prestigious estate in 2018. It is now managed by the fourth generation of the Lamastus family, and in recent years it has also acquired the high-altitude El Burro Estate as the family's fifth estate. The Elida Geisha cupped by Front Street Coffee this time displays rich flavors of pomegranate, peach, white florals, grape, and black tea, with extremely high sweetness, rounded acidity, and a silky mouthfeel. This article will take you deeper into the history and charm of this legendary estate. [more…]

In the landscape of Panamanian specialty coffee, Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha is certainly renowned, but knowing only that one could mean missing out on many other delights. Elida Estate, as a gem passed down through a century by the Lamastus family, relies on the high-altitude microclimate of the Boquete region, along with strict manual picking and low-temperature resting processing, to cultivate a uniquely flavored natural Typica. Front Street Coffee recommends this bean this time, breaking down one by one its fascinating expression interwoven with peach, raisin, orange, and cane sugar—from the terroir of the region, the estate's history, to green bean characteristics, roasting curves, and brewing parameters—to lead you to appreciate another kind of charm in Panamanian coffee. [more…]