Panama Boquete Altieri Alessa River flow fermentation(RFF5) Natural Geisha #210125
The Altieri Alessa Estate in Panama is a consistent winner at the Best of Panama (BOP) competition. While Panamanian Geisha is world-renowned, to stand out year after year among the top-tier Geisha estates at BOP is no easy feat.
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 Alessa River flow fermentation(RFF5) Natural Geisha #210125
Safflower, Peach, Floral Honey, Blueberry, Sweet and tangy blueberry note
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.
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.
Alessa Plot (ALESSA)
This lot, ALESSA, is named by estate founder Eugene Altieri after his granddaughter. It is located within MIMA Estate at an altitude of around 1,850 meters, planted on volcanic soil and bordering a protected park, with approximately 70% shade coverage.
The cherries were harvested on January 21, 2025. Using flotation, lighter-density cherries were removed, while the remaining were placed into grain bags and submerged in cold river water for five days to complete fermentation. The drying phase then took place in drying rooms under controlled conditions of 18°C and 50% humidity, maintained steadily for 30 days.
Anaerobic Processing Method- Gesha/ Geisha
Geisha coffee, once named one of the "World's Top 10 Most Expensive Coffees" by Forbes, is a legendary name in the world of specialty coffee. However, there is significant confusion surrounding the Geisha variety, as several genetically distinct plant types are referred to as Geisha, many of which share a similar geographic origin in Ethiopia. Recent genetic diversity analysis conducted by the World Coffee Research confirms that the T2722 variety cultivated in Panama is both unique and consistent. When well-managed in high-altitude regions, this variety is strongly correlated with exceptional cupping quality and is renowned for its delicate floral aroma, jasmine notes, and peach-like fragrance.
The Geisha variety that has thrived in Panama for over 60 years is the T2722 variety. It was originally collected in the 1930s from the coffee forests of Ethiopia. The seeds were sent to the Lyamungu Research Station in Tanzania and later transported to Central America in 1953, where they were documented at the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Costa Rica under the designation T2722. During the 1960s, it was recognized for its tolerance to coffee leaf rust and was distributed by CATIE across Panama. However, due to its fragile branches, it was not favored by farmers and thus was not widely planted. It wasn’t until 2005, when the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered this coffee into the Best of Panama competition and auction, that the variety gained fame. It received exceptional praise and set a record for green coffee auction prices at the time.
Regarding the name "Geisha," the spellings "Geisha" and "Gesha" are often used interchangeably. This is related to phonetic transliteration, as there is no fixed translation from Ethiopian dialects to English. The variety was originally recorded as "Geisha" in planting records. Over the decades, coffee researchers and cultivation databases maintained this spelling, leading to its widespread promotion and use within the coffee industry. The variety was first collected from a mountain in Ethiopia, the name of which is typically translated into English as either "Gesha" or "Geisha."
In recent years, the cultivation of the Geisha variety has gained popularity worldwide, achieving remarkable success in major coffee competitions. This includes regions in Central and South America such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru, where the variety has often been transplanted from Panama's T2722. Additionally, Taiwan has also begun cultivating Geisha in many high-altitude regions. Typically, the higher the elevation, the more enchanting the coffee’s flavor becomes.
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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:
【River Flow Fermentation Natural】
Since 2022, the Altieri team has been experimenting with River Flow Fermentation, a process where fresh cherries are sealed in bags and submerged under running water to undergo anaerobic fermentation at a stable 12°C. Drying is then carried out in dark rooms at 18°C.
This low-temperature fermentation highlights fruit-forward profiles with notes of jasmine blossom. Extending the fermentation period enhances floral aromas and complexity. At the same time, the Panama estate continues to improve cherry quality through new plantings and pruning practices.
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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