Panama is now world famous for the gesha variety, producing some of the most delicious (and expensive) geshas in the world. Gesha’s popularity had a huge impact on speciality coffee by emphasizing the importance and impact of coffee variety. At the same time that there is an intense interest in variety, there is also a move to understand how processing can elucidate unique varietal characteristics in coffee varieties. Elida Estate is world famous for their gesha coffees, but they have not rested on their success and they are trying to improve every coffee they offer–including coffees that are not gesha.

They grow a large amount of Catuai on the farm and they have developed a process that brings the best out of the variety. They ferment the coffee cherry in oxygen-free tanks for 5 days and then dry it very slowly for up to 30 days, with the last part of the drying finished in a covered tent. This process reveals the power and structure of Catuai, with big aromas, intense fruit, and a heavy body.