Central America is a narrow strip of land connecting South America and North America. The countries in this region are all small in area, yet they possess abundant natural resources. Because the terrain here is dominated by plateaus and mountains, most of the land is mountainous forest area, and on the Pacific side stretches a volcanic belt more than 1,300 km long.

Being close to the equator, and thanks to its geographical location and terrain, the continent has a rich and diverse climate, mainly tropical and Mediterranean climates. Together with accumulated volcanic ash, the soil is fertile, making the region's agriculture well developed and focused on exports of agricultural products such as coffee and bananas. As a result, several countries in Central America are famous for coffee production, such as Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama. Among them, Panama has a very high profile in the global coffee market and is famous for the Geisha variety.

In the 19th century, European colonists came to Panama and brought coffee saplings with them, but at that time the concept of specialty coffee did not yet exist and the focus was more on yield. Panama's coffee production was only one tenth that of neighboring Costa Rica. Later, as international coffee prices remained low, Panamanian growers realized that consumers were beginning to pursue high-quality specialty coffee, so they established the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP), and through participating in various specialty coffee exhibitions and coffee competitions, they built up the reputation of Panamanian coffee.

After gaining international recognition, the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama began holding its own "Best of Panama (BOP)" competition, establishing the reputation and foundation of Panama for producing high-quality coffee beans. Moreover, in the 2004 Best of Panama competition, the Geisha variety took first place with an outstanding score, making Geisha coffee beans famous and continually rewriting records for international coffee bean auction prices.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that being able to grow high-quality coffee is inseparable from Panama's unique geographical environment and climate. Panama is located in southern Central America, bordering Colombia to the east and Costa Rica to the west. The country's terrain rises and falls with ravines crisscrossing it, and apart from the plains in the north and south coastal areas, most of it is mountainous.

Because Panama is close to the equator, it has a tropical maritime climate, humid during the day and cool at night, with an average annual temperature of 23-27°C. The year is divided into a dry season and a rainy season, with an average annual rainfall of 1,500-2,500 mm. Panama has many high mountains and volcanoes, as well as rich forest and river resources, and a unique microclimate, providing ideal growing conditions for crops such as coffee.

Panama is divided into 10 provinces and 5 indigenous comarcas, and specialty coffee is mainly grown in the western province of Chiriqui, divided into Boquete, Volcan-Candela and Renacimiento. Among them, the Boquete and Volcan-Candela producing areas surround the country's famous Chiriqui Volcano (also known as Volcan Baru), while Renacimiento is located in the west of Chiriqui province on the border with Costa Rica and is dominated by the Talamanca Range.

Boquete is the most well-known producing area in Panama. Its name comes from Boquete town, and it is located east of the Chiriqui Volcano. The Chiriqui Volcano is the highest peak in the country, with an altitude of up to 3,477 m. There are plateaus and basins among the volcanic mountains, and the slopes at an altitude of 1,200-2,000 m are mainly coffee plantations.

In addition, the temperature here is between 11°C and 27°C, neither too cold nor too hot, and the relatively large temperature difference allows coffee cherries to grow slowly and develop flavor. There is also a moderate amount of rainfall, fertile land brought by volcanic ash, sufficient sunlight and a special local microclimate, all of which allow this producing area to produce high-quality coffee. FrontStreet Coffee has a Geisha from the Boquete producing area, washed processed and medium roasted. On the palate it has lemon-like acidity, bergamot and honey flavors, a green tea tea-like body, and a refreshing mouthfeel.

This producing area is home to many well-known estates, such as Hacienda La Esmeralda, Duncan Estate and Elida Estate. In this year's 2024 Best of Panama BOP competition, the Lamastus family won the Producer of the Year award. The family owns Elida Estate, El Burro Estate and Luito Estate, among which the most well-known is Elida Estate.

The history of the farm can be traced back to 1918. This farm is the property of the Lamastus family, and the farm's name Elida was the name of the wife of the then farm owner Robert Louis Lamastus. It is currently inherited by his son Wilford Lamastus.

Elida Estate covers a total area of 65 hectares, more than half of which lies within the boundaries of Baru Volcano National Park. Of this, 30 hectares are planted with coffee trees, while the remaining 35 hectares are primary forest. The coffee is grown at altitudes ranging from 1670 m to 1850 m, making it one of the highest-altitude coffee estates in Panama. In addition, Elida Estate's processing plant is located halfway up the mountain, so the coffee can be taken to the facility for processing immediately after picking, ensuring the quality of the coffee cherries and thereby producing high-quality coffee.

The estate mainly grows high-quality coffee varieties such as Geisha, Typica and Caturra. At this year's BOP, Elida Estate's Geisha won the champion of the natural group with 95.13 points. At present, FrontStreet Coffee has Catuai coffee beans from Elida Estate, which are natural processed. After brewing, you will smell a slight wine aroma brought by the natural process, and on the palate there are flavors of peach, raisin and orange, with a caramel-like sweetness, a green tea-like mouthfeel and high cleanliness.