Panama Elida Estate Catuai Natural

About Panama Elida Estate Catuai Natural

Arrived late June 2026 in Grainpro, a direct trade coffee and this year we airfreighted the coffee so that you could enjoy it sooner. Each year we have the privilege of cupping a large assortment of Elida lots, including numerous samples of this Catuai Natural. We cupped one set of them at our warehouse facility and then we visited the farm at the very end of April and cupped another 30+ samples there. This coffee represents our top choice of Catuai Natural from Elida for the year; we also bought several extraordinary lots of Geisha that we will introduce in the coming weeks. While in Panama, everyone told us the same story about the tiny crop that occurred due to an odd whether event when the coffee trees were flowering. In some instances, the crop was reduced by 90% and we will not have coffee from any of those farms that were affected so drastically. Not every farm or variety was affected the same, but we received word from Elida that our purchase would have to be reduced by 40% because there simply not was not enough coffee to fill their orders and the shortage was being spread around. The coffee cost is also higher this year and in part due to the shortfall, in part by Elida's normally large worldwide demand. At least the tariff we had last year is gone.

This is a Classic Elida Natural preparation. And, the good news is that the coffee is as good as ever, if not better. We have offered coffee from Panama Elida Estate for many years, and 2026 was no exception. We select special lots and each year our customers await its arrival.  Elida is producing some of the best, if not the best coffee in Panama today. 

While this coffee is their tradional Catuai varietal, they have set multiple world records for their Geisha coffee (which we will offer separately). It seems like every year, Elida breaks new price and scoring records for their Geisha. In mid September 2024 a new record was set for a tiny 3kg lot that sold for $13,518.00 per kilogram - roughly $6,145 per pound at their privately held auction! Before setting this new record, they had already broken the Best of Panama record in August with a 100 pound lot for over $10,013 per kilo or $4,551 per pound.  These stratospheric prices are clearly for the chosen few who can afford them. But the demand for Elida coffee attests to the greatness of the farm - the same property on which the producer grows this well known Elida Estate Catuai Natural. This Catuai Natural is a superbly processed coffee, big and powerful, but also it is very clean. The Lamastus family can grow and process Naturals like few others and the Catuai represents a very good value for the quality offered, especially considering the reputation held by this farm around the world.

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. There are three farms in the Lamastus family: Elida Estate, El Burro Estate, and Luito Geisha Estate. 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. A large part of the farm is a dedicated ecological reserve area in Volcan Baru National Park, a world heritage site.

Wilford Lamastus (owner of Elida), 2024

This lot is 100% Catuai, a varietal developed in the mid-twentieth century. Catuai is a cross between the Mundo Novo and Caturra varietals, both of which were created by selective cross-breeding programs. Mondo Novo was the result of combining Bourbon and Typica varietals, and Caturra is a combination of two Red Bourbon mutations. This is a natural processed coffee, a brief explaination of which is required to understand the terminology. Since the advent of micro milling machines, most notably that developed by Penagos in Colombia, small farms have the ability to process their own coffee for a somewhat modest cost of entry. These machines use pressurized water mist to strip away the outer skin of the coffee cherry, and can remove pulp (the fruit surrounding the coffee husk) to a fine tolerance, leaving selective amounts of pulp to dry on the husk. When all the pulp is removed it is fully washed. When a tiny amount remains, it is called yellow honey; when a little more remains it is considered red honey, and a lot remaining is black honey. Neither the skin nor the pulp being removed results in a natural processed coffee (like this one). Elida Estate is masterful at producing Natural processed coffees. They are to produce deeply fruity flavors, yet despite the intensity, there is finesse. The Lamastus family are excellent coffee cuppers, very unusual in the coffee growing world. Their palates enable them to develop, and in a sense customize, flavor profiles to the preferences of their customers, us in this case.

Barry from Roastmasters and Wilford, Sr in 2017

Handmade wooden trays used for drying natural and honey coffees

• Province: Chiriqui
• District: Boquete
• Township: Los Naranjos
• Altitude: 5600-6200 feet above sea level
• Coffee variety: Catuai
• Processing: Natural
• Farm: Elida Estate

Cup Characteristics: Big fruity aroma. Classic Catuai Natural. 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.

Roasting Notes: Our preferred roasting range for this coffee is midway between 1st and 2nd crack. The delicate qualities will be present throughout this range, with lighter variations highlighting piquancy and citrus notes, while Full City levels will enhance body. Keep in mind that natural processed coffees tend to roast a little quicker than washed, and plan your roast accordingly.