History & Origins
Finca Deborah’s remarkable story began in the early 2000s when Jamison Savage, at the height of his finance career in the United States, decided a dramatic change was in order and culminated in 2008 when the Savage family uprooted and started anew on foreign soil.
After leaving a career in finance in Florida, Jamison sought to establish a coffee farm in the Central American country.
The choice was between Panama and New Zealand, with Panama eventually winning out for practical reasons and the sheer beauty and promise of the land.
In 2008, Jamison and Leslie Savage moved their family to the Republic of Panama where they established the renowned Finca Deborah, an extreme elevation farm dedicated to cultivating the exotic Geisha variety.
In 2007 his decision was made—not only would he proceed with coffee production, but he planned it at elevations most considered impossible and where a farm had not previously existed, deciding to plant the highly contentious Geisha variety.
In 2016, Taiwan’s Berg Wu used Finca Deborah’s washed Geisha to win the World Barista Championship in Dublin, Ireland, marking the farm’s entry into global prominence.
During the last thirteen years they have been at the forefront of coffee flavor development and were the first to commercially implement Carbonic Maceration in coffee processing.
Today, Jamison and Lesley Savage from Finca Deborah handle some of the most sought-after coffees on the planet, with their entire 2022 harvest being presold before a single coffee cherry had reddened on the tree.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
At 1900+ meters, Finca Deborah is one of the highest and most remote coffee farms in all of Panama, located at an elevation of 1900+ meters and nestled deep in the mountains of Volcán where it is shrouded in dense cloud coverage for most of the year.
At these altitudes, temperatures can drop to as low as 10 degrees C during the night.
The extreme elevation and reduced temperature slows the metabolism of the trees, permitting them to push more sugars into the cherries during production.
Additionally, Deborah has ideal rainfall averaging 2200 mm per year, and combined, these two important variables contribute greatly to Deborah’s intensely sweet and complex cup profile.
Deborah’s soils are volcanic, highly organic, and nutrient rich, ideally suited for extreme elevation coffee production.
The plantation is a beautiful, natural environment where rare species of plants and animals are abundant and where Geisha grows to its full potential under the protection of the lush rainforest canopy.
Because of Finca Deborah’s lofty altitude, diseases are naturally kept to a minimum, as temperature alone makes for an inhospitable place for fungal issues and other unwanted diseases.
No gas powered machines, harsh chemical pesticides or herbicides are used during the cultivation of the farm, with natural, organic fertilizers used in combination with organic weed control.
The beneficio, or processing center, is powered by their own robust solar system, and as a shade grown coffee plantation, Finca Deborah blends seamlessly with the mountain landscape.
Processing & Production
Jamison Savage is renowned for his unique and inventive approaches to coffee processing, with a reputation for being at the tip of the spear when it comes to processing coffee in unique and interesting ways.
The farm’s interest in carbonic maceration began in 2016 during a visit with Sasa Sestic from Ona Coffee Australia, when Jamison asked about the carbonic maceration process Sestic used to win the WBC, leading him to begin experimenting.
The carbonic maceration technique involves fermenting the coffee in a carbon dioxide-rich environment, which develops the final flavor profile, adding complexity and accentuating fresh fruit and floral notes, with beans held in CO2 infused tanks for up to two days.
Finca Deborah Elipse is an advanced nitrogen macerated Geisha with a washed finish, a process pioneered by Jamison in 2023 that is a “Hybrid” incorporating both natural and washed in wet-side processing.
Jamison designed a special 3 tiered, African bed system that allows for delicate, even drying, taking into consideration three primary variables: heat, airflow, and cleanliness.
Carefully monitoring the harvesting is one of the most critical steps in a long list of quality control requirements, with hand picking only the ripest cherries and processing those cherries that meet exacting standards.
The Nôbe-Buglé people are the primary workforce on the farm and are the backbone of Finca Deborah, with excellent living quarters, medical care, regular monetary bonuses, and other benefits provided.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Geisha is an extremely aromatic coffee, and the moment the water hits the cup you will notice the floral, citrus, jasmine, and sweet honey notes.
When hot, this coffee is intensely floral and remarkably sweet, like wildflower honey, with sweet stone fruit like rainier cherries elevated by a vibrant and complex citrus character.
As the coffee approaches a warm temperature, everything becomes more vibrant and fresh: florality like jasmine, citrus like bergamot and lime zest, and fresh stone fruit like juicy peaches.
The Afterglow lot showcases vibrant citrus, delicate florals, and honeyed sweetness.
The Terroir lot offers rich, earthy notes, cocoa, and a subtle hint of spice that creates a smooth, grounded cup, with flavors that evoke the unique landscape of Finca Deborah’s remote mountain location.
The Interstellar lot is intense, complex, and very proud of its fermentation’s impact, being floral like hibiscus and punchy like cocoa nibs, sipping like orange wine or a sour beer when hot.
In 2024, ELIPSE was used to win the World Barista Championship, shining with intense sweetness and flavors of red apple, jasmine, and blood orange through its long finish.
At the 2024 WBC, every finalist chose beans from Finca Deborah—an extraordinary testament to Savage’s quality and consistency.
The carbonic maceration process works well with about any variety, with whatever is inherent in the grain being magnified through this process, so the highly floral, fruity qualities of Geisha are amplified.