Panama Boquete Altieri Rola Natural Catuai ASD #281223
The Alto Jaramillo Estate in Panama is a consistent winner at the Best of Panama (BOP) competition. While Panama Geisha is renowned worldwide, it is no easy feat to stand out year after year among the top-tier Geisha estates in the BOP competition.
Award Records:
2023 Best of Panama – 7th place, Washed Geisha category
2023 Best of Panama – 5th place, Natural Geisha category
2023 Best of Panama – 9th place, Traditional Natural category
2022 Best of Panama – 16th place, Washed Geisha category
2022 Best of Panama – 14th place, Non-Geisha category (Catuai)
2020 Best of Panama – 12th place, Washed Geisha category
2020 Best of Panama – 15th place, Natural Geisha category
2019 Best of Panama – 15th place, Washed Geisha category
2018 Best of Panama – 5th place, Traditional Natural category
2017 Best of Panama – 2nd place, Natural Geisha category
2017 Best of Panama – 14th place, Washed Geisha category
2016 Best of Panama – 6th place, Washed Geisha category
2016 Best of Panama – 11th place, Natural Geisha category
2015 Best of Panama – 5th place, Washed Geisha category (Private Collection Geisha)
2014 Best of Panama – 2nd place, Washed Geisha category (Private Collection Geisha)
2014 Best of Panama – 3rd place, Washed Geisha category
2013 Best of Panama – 5th place, Washed Geisha category
2013 Best of Panama – 10th place, Traditional category
Coffee Flavor
The flavors of coffee are derived from the breakdown of various nutrients in the green coffee beans during roasting. Heat causes these compounds to degrade into a variety of aromatic molecular structures, resulting in a wide spectrum of flavors. High-quality coffee beans naturally possess a rich aroma that evolves at different temperatures—high, medium, and low—offering a delightful and nuanced experience worth savoring.
Panama Boquete Altieri Rola Natural Catuai ASD #281223
Dried red berries, sweet peach, citrus, floral aroma, with a finish of lemon tea and brown sugar sweetness.
Altieri Estate (Finca Altieri)
Located on the eastern side of Volcán Barú in Callejón Seco, Altieri Estate has two distinct coffee farms at 1,350m and 2,000m above sea level. The region's fertile volcanic soil is ideal for cultivating high-quality crops. Surrounded by forests often shrouded in mist and blessed with abundant rainfall, the estate benefits from a unique microclimate. Geographically, Panama is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Due to its narrow landmass, oceanic monsoons can easily cross the central mountain range and enter the Boquete Valley. The convergence of air currents from both sides and the variation in altitude result in five distinct microclimates, contributing to the exceptional flavors of Altieri's coffee.
What makes Altieri Estate truly special is not only its rich volcanic soil but also its high-altitude terroir, ranging from 1,600m to 2,200m, making it one of the highest coffee farms in Panama. A portion of their Geisha coffee is even cultivated within Barú National Park, making it the only estate permitted to grow coffee inside a national park.
Altieri Estate is a consistent winner at the Best of Panama (BOP) competition. Since 2013, it has secured top rankings every year. In 2023, the estate achieved high placements in the Natural Geisha, Washed Geisha, and Other Varieties categories. Notably, their "Dry Fermentation Natural" anaerobic process—used for this batch—earned 5th place in the Natural Geisha category, scoring 94.25 points in cupping, with a record-breaking auction price of $1,108 per kilogram, making it the 4th highest price in the category.
Panama Geisha is globally renowned, and while excellent Geisha coffee is not difficult to find, standing out among the top-tier Geisha estates in the Best of Panama competition year after year is an extraordinary achievement. While this particular batch is not a Geisha, it has been cultivated with the same meticulous care, resulting in an exquisite cup. Expect a floral aroma upon the first sip, followed by a balanced acidity with notes of citrus, red berry dried fruit, and lemon tea—a sensory journey through the terroir of Volcán Barú.
Rola Plot (Lote Rola)
This batch comes from Mima Estates, where the average annual temperature ranges between 16.5°C and 22.3°C. The Rola Plot is situated at 1,750m above sea level, southeast of Volcán Barú. The plot benefits from direct sunlight exposure, rich volcanic soil, and is surrounded by cedar trees. Spanning approximately 2 hectares, the Rola Plot is exclusively dedicated to growing the Catuai variety. Its annual production is around 2,720 kg, and in the 2023 Best of Panama (BOP) competition, a Catuai batch from this plot ranked 9th in the Varietals category, achieving an auction price of $124 per kilogram.
Commitment to Employee Well-being
While striving for excellence in coffee quality, Altieri Estate treats its employees like family, providing them and their families with private housing and medical care. Additionally, employees’ wives can earn extra income through a sewing workshop, while children receive after-school tutoring and support. This initiative has significantly improved the living conditions of workers. The estate's dedication to both people and quality is reflected in its consistent recognition and awards over the years.
Catuai
Catuai is a coffee variety developed by the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) in São Paulo, Brazil. It is a hybrid of the high-yielding Mundo Novo and the compact Caturra variety. Compared to Bourbon, Catuai has a significantly higher yield, partly due to its smaller plant size, which allows for closer planting distances—nearly twice the density of Bourbon.
The compact growth habit of Catuai makes it easier to manage for pest and disease control. It is well-known for its vigorous growth and dwarf-like stature, with a looser canopy compared to Caturra. Additionally, it exhibits strong resistance to coffee leaf rust (CLR). The name Catuai originates from the Guarani language phrase "multo mom," which means "very good." Since it is not a pure-line variety, Catuai exists in two color variations: yellow and red cherries.
Catuai, the Arabica coffee variety, is a hybrid of Caturra and Mundo novo. Caturra is short and Mundo Novo is tall. Later, the improved height is more convenient for harvesting. The taste is sweet, the sweetness performance is similar to that of Cattura, and the sourness is less, which improves the shortcomings of bad taste and poor flavor, and has a good sense of balance.
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The coffee tree, botanically classified under the Rubiaceae family and the Coffea subgenus, is an evergreen tree. Coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee fruit. There are three main varieties: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. These three varieties cannot crossbreed to produce different subspecies. The world’s specialty coffee comes from the Arabica variety, and within Arabica, there are various subspecies resulting from evolution, hybridization, and mutation. The world's specialty coffees are derived from Arabica, which itself has various subspecies and hybrids resulting from evolution, crossbreeding, and mutations.
(Coffee Processes)
The term "processing methods" refers to the process of transforming ripe red coffee cherries into dried green beans. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, influenced by the natural environment and the specific needs of the coffee-producing region. As a result, different regions adopt the processing method most suited to their conditions. This batch uses ASD processing methods, described below:
Anaerobic Slow-Dried Natural (ASD)
This batch of coffee is handpicked by highly skilled indigenous workers in Panama, ensuring that only fully ripe cherries are selected. These cherries are then taken to Altieri’s processing facility, where they are placed in completely sealed plastic fermentation tanks for 96 hours of anaerobic processing.
During anaerobic fermentation, two main types of microorganisms play a role: aerobic and anaerobic microbes. Since the fermentation tanks are completely sealed, aerobic microorganisms quickly consume all the available oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, gradually transforming the environment into an oxygen-free state. At this point, aerobic microorganisms struggle to survive, and anaerobic microbes take over the fermentation process.
The relationship between coffee flavors and microorganisms is deeply intertwined. The diversity of microorganisms is vast, and each type has the potential to create unique and complex flavor profiles. Since aerobic and anaerobic microbes break down organic compounds (such as sugars) in different ways, altering the microbial composition can result in completely distinct flavor outcomes.
After fermentation, the cherries are transferred to African raised drying beds, where they slowly dry for 21 days until the moisture content reaches 11%. Throughout the drying process, the cherries are turned regularly to ensure even exposure to sunlight. Once fully dried, they are stored in GrainPro bags and kept in a temperature-controlled warehouse to further develop their flavors—a crucial step in achieving a refined and balanced coffee profile.
JUSTIN INTERNATIONAL FOOD ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
Tel: +886-3-358-6611
1st Floor, No. 30, Lane 120, Daxing Road, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City
▶This product is covered by a NT$10 million product liability insurance.
▶Food Industry Registration Number: F-165601955-00000-0
▶ Our company’s cupper is certified as a CQI International Coffee Quality Appraiser.
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