Panama Altieri Geisha Natural 'Luci'

Arrived by air in late summer and held aside for roasting this holiday period. Following our farm visit and cupping in May we bought this very small lot on the spot along with one other lot (Chombi) which sold out quickly. While expensive, like most Geisha variety coffee, this coffee is simply delicious and one of the best we will have this year! Luci comes from the highest elevation of the Mima estate property and represents, in our opinion, the best coffee being produced by this farm.

The quantity is tiny and we will have only about 40 roasted pounds available. This coffee from Panama has a quite different story than we are used to hearing. The farm is owned by Gene Altieri, a native New Yorker who has lived and worked in Panama for the past 45 years and has now involved his adult children in running the coffee business. While Gene had his hands in a number of businesses, he struck success with his two coffee farms, earning him placement as the 3rd place winner in this year's Best of Panama competition in the coveted Geisha Natural category.  Barry Levine from Willoughby's was one of the International judges at the competition.

The processing of this Natural coffee is unusual and contributes to its distinct flavor profile. It is called a Dry Fermentation Process and the following are details of the method. The coffee fruit was handpicked, ensuring the full ripeness of the cherries. After harvesting, it was taken to the drying area and stayed overnight in the harvest bags. In the morning, the cherries underwent a flotation process as the first selection of beans, and then they were placed on raised African beds inside a drying greenhouse for approximately 5 days. Afterwards, they were transferred to Grainpro bags and left in the shade for a fermentation process lasting 4 days. After this time, the drying of this lot was completed in a refrigerated drying chamber at Altieri's facilities in Alto Lino Boquete and the drying period lasted for 30 days, alternating forced ventilation with dehumidifiers at a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius (65 degrees Fahrenheit) . Finally the coffee was moved to the Altieri storage warehouse, where it remained at a constant temperature of 18 degrees Celsius with an average relative humidity of 55% until ready to ship to us.

Altieri has two farms in the Boquete region, one at a slightly lower altitude of 1350 meters above sea level and a higher elevation farm called Mima, with elevations up to 2000 meters. Luci comes from the highest plot on the property with most geisha trees between 1900 and 2000 meters. At these elevations, coffee grows slower and flavors are more concentrated.

Luci is the highest plot on Altieri's Mima Estate, at 1900 meters elevation.

Altieri farms produce Geisha, Typica, Catuai, and Caturra (a little later in the season we will be offering an outstanding Catuai Natural from them). Upon first acquiring the farm Gene followed the ordinary practices of farming but after learning more about coffee production as the years passed, he began focusing on improving existing practices along with the living conditions of the many people involved in the coffee's production. Gene has a big family with lots of grandchildren and each individual plot of land on the Altieri Coffee Farm is now nicknamed for one of the children or grandchildren. At the time of our purchase, Luci was the newest entry to the family.

We have been tasting Altieri's coffees for years and it is quite apparent how much the quality has improved over time. The coffee being produced has really come up to the top level as evidenced by their recent 3rd place win and this terrific coffee. The investment that Altieri has made in farm management, equipment, and a study of cutting edge processing practices are really paying off in the cup. Kudos go to farm manager Roger Pitti

It's obvious that Gene and his team have a deep rooted passion not only for the quality of coffee being produced, but also for the dedicated farmers who make that success possible. It's an honor to be able to acquire this coffee knowing that the effort and hard work that is put into growing it extends to the lives of the ones who deserve it the most. Kudos go to the Altieri family and the farm workers who contributed to this fine coffee.

Cup Characteristics: Very sweet, bright and lively with some citrus notes. Lots of Geisha classic florals such as jasmine, with stone fruit, cherry and white grape juice and some tropical pineapple. Black tea tannins make for a long, dry finish. Just delicious coffee.