Panama Finca Lerida Catuai Honey

Description

Roast Level: Light Variety: Catuai Process: Honey Region: Alto Quiel, Boquete, Panama Elevation: 1,600+ m Farm: Finca Lérida Producer: Amoruso Family We taste: Cranberry juice, brown sugar, syrupy Finca Lérida is one of the most historic coffee estates in Panama. Founded in 1924 by Norwegian engineer Tollef Bache Mönniche, fresh from his work on the Panama Canal, the farm is nestled in the highlands of Alto Quiel, Boquete, at the gateway of Volcán Barú National Park. At over 1,600 meters above sea level, Lérida's cool mountain air, volcanic soil, and dense forest shade slow down cherry ripening, creating coffees with remarkable depth and complexity. Lérida is known for its pioneering spirit. Nearly a century ago, Mönniche designed Panama's first gravity-powered wet mill and patented a siphon sorting device, both still referenced on the farm today. Over the decades, Lérida has earned multiple top finishes at the Best of Panama competition, including first place in 2015 (Traditional Washed). Now over 100 years since its founding, the Amoruso family, descendants of the original founders, leads the estate with deep respect for its heritage and a focus on exceptional, terroir-driven coffees. This Catuai Honey lot showcases a different side of Lérida. While the farm is celebrated for its elegant Geshas, this honey-processed Catuai delivers a juicy, syrupy cup. Drying the cherry with some of its natural mucilage intact concentrates the fruit's sugars, giving this lot bright cranberry juice acidity, a deep brown sugar sweetness, and a full, syrupy body, a different but equally beautiful expression of Boquete's high-altitude terroir. Fun fact: Finca Lérida is also home to one of Panama's most renowned birdwatching destinations, with over 500 species of birds documented on the estate and surrounding cloud forest.