History & Origins
Elida Estate has been run by the Lamastus family for four generations, starting in 1918 when the founder of the farm, Robert Lamastus, bought property along the Baru Volcano.
It was named for the wife of the founder, Robert Lamastus.
At the turn of the century, Kentucky born Robert Lamastus started an Arabica coffee plantation in a farm located at around 5,600 ft (1 700 m) above sea level in the skirts of the Baru Volcano in Boquete, Panama. At the time our grandfather processed and exported what is still today considered as one of the highest quality coffees in the world.
Nowadays and three generations later the tradition continues, the Lamastus family, still produces, processes, exports, and now roast its own rare estate coffees. The family operates three properties: Elida Estate, El Burro Estate, and Luito Geisha Estate. Under the stewardship of current manager Wilford Lamastus Sr., Since the early 90’s, Wilford Lamastus Sr. promoted this variety and pushed specialty coffee forward not only in Panama, but the world. Lamastus was integral in establishing the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, which unites producers and farmers alike. Over two decades he built upon the hard work of his family and elevated coffee from Panama into what it is today.
The estate gained international recognition through competition success and record-breaking auction prices. Elida Esate has had a huge string awards, accolades and competition success. After two back to back years, 2018 and 2019 in which Elida Estate won 1st place in both Natural and Washed Geisha categories in the Best of Panama competitions, access to their coffee became more rarified.
The Lamastus Family Estate in Panama has set a new record for the highest price ever paid for coffee at its auction hosted by M-Cultivo, with the top lot selling for US$13,518 per kilogram to Korea’s Cupping Post. The three-kilogram lot was an Elida Geisha Honey Aguacatillo, a rare coffee grown within a national park.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
With elevations between 5500 and 8200 feet above sea level, Elida is the highest coffee farm in Panama, although coffee is only grown between 5600 and 6200 feet.
The farm is actually located in the Alto Quiel region of Boquete, with a range of altitudes from 1670 to 2000 meters.
In these estates, Estate only, the area that goes up to 6,000 ft is planted with coffee (in Panama coffee cannot be grown at altitudes higher than 6,000 ft) and the other part is an ecological reserve area, located within the Volcan Baru National Park.
The farm is about 65 hectares (160 acres), 30 of which are planted with coffee trees; it produces about 400 60 kg bags annually.
The volcanic terroir creates exceptional growing conditions. Rising from 1,700 to 2,060 masl, and nestled within the Volcan Baru National Forest Reserve—a native, old-growth cloud forest—the farm has excellent shade coverage, biodiversity, and rich volcanic soil full of beneficial microorganisms. All of this helps to produce some of the most complex coffee cherries ever tasted.
The farm’s location along the slopes of the Baru Volcano gifts it with mineral-rich, volcanic soil.
Elida is host to a unique microclimate due to its high elevation and incredible array of biodiversity. Cold nights combined with fog produce a long maturation rate of the plants, extending the ripening season sometimes up to a month.
At such high altitude, Elida’s microclimate is quite cold, greatly lengthening the time of cherry maturation, which is very important for the development of sugars and acidities in the cup.
Elida Estate coffees are produced under a unique world-ecological condition: it is shade-grown, bird-friendly, the farm is located at a very high elevation, in a microclimate with very low temperatures, the coffee trees are surrounded by the Volcan Baru National Park -a virgin native cloudy rain forest-.
Processing & Production
The coffee is then processed with most care to keep the rich flavor of the coffee in three different processing methods (Natural, Washed, and Honey). Then, the coffee is carefully selected, rested for 60 to a 100 days (depending on the process) in burlap sacks on wooden floors and then exported directly by the Lamastus family.
Elida Estate is masterful at producing Natural processed coffees. The estate has pioneered innovative techniques including both traditional (washed and natural) and innovative (Anaerobic Slow Dry) processing methods to bring out the best in the Geisha variety.
The Anaerobic Slow Dry process is particularly notable. It is a six days- process of the whole coffee fruit in an anaerobic, or no oxygen tank, then after day six, the fruit goes into drying beds for a drying of more than 30 days. The “SD” stands for Slow Dry, and any drying period over 30 days is considered a slow dry.
An interesting and important fact that happens with the anaerobic process: The anaerobic tanks with the whole fruits inside it, release its own concentrated liquid or coffee fruit juices. And, after the sixth day in the tank there is a significant amount of concentrated liquid from the coffee fruit. This leach is full of the flavors of the variety, the terroir where the plants are located, of natural yeasts, natural microorganisms, natural bacterias, and in concentration.
Harvest practices emphasize extreme selectivity. The cherries are delicately hand-picked, at strict full maturity, by native Ngobe-Bugle Indians in an area where our main objective is to keep the environment to its most pristine and natural condition.
With the selection of cherry as a small concern, we are working with Wilford to harvest a special lot just for PT’s that is only the ripest of the red cherry that is selected and sorted before drying. This will be a first and should lead to an even more exceptional lot of Elida Natural when it arrives later this summer. Processing infrastructure includes specialized drying facilities, with coffee dried “in the dark room for 21 days” for some lots.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Elida Estate produces distinctly different profiles depending on varietal and processing method. The Catuai Natural presents “very high toned, fruity cup that kept improving as it cooled. Cherry notes expanded and high tones modified during cooling. Black tea and blackcurrant tannins. Juicy, piquant and notably well balanced.”
“A sweetly tart pineapple acidity is enveloped by booming notes of sweet blueberry, floral raspberry and juicy strawberry carried by whiskey-toned oak and spice; supported by a long milk chocolate toned finish and resonant lavender-like mouth feel.”
The Geisha expressions demonstrate the estate’s mastery of this prized varietal. Washed Geisha lots showcase “delicate florals like jasmine, sweet citrus that reminds us of green slush, and bright and juicy lime.”
“This is a delicate cup with nice florals, with a silky, covering body and a long citric finish.” The Torre microlot displays “rich notes of fresh peach and sweet honeydew melon. The overall expression is super elegant and bright, like vibrant flowers with a medium body and nectar-like mouthfeel.”
Because of the high altitudes where the coffee is grown the beans are very dense and uniform and they are mild with a medium body, good aroma, and high acidity. The anaerobic processed lots present “a powerhouse of floral elegance showing bergamot and mulitple layers of flavors.”
Their coffee regularly scores above 90 points due to their expert processing and the terroir of the Elida Estate. These exceptional quality standards have established Elida as “producing some of the best, if not the best coffee in Panama today.”