The Lamastus Family Estates, a coffee growing family since 1918, is the owner of the Elida Estate, El Burro Estate, and Luito Geisha Estate coffee. Elida and El Burro Estate coffees have been constant winners of many quality awards in international and local competitions. The elevation of the farm, the quality conscious and quality oriented farms are operated by three generations of coffee growers; the grandfather, Thatcher, son Wilford, and grandson Wilford Jr share the passion for coffee and the family tradition that have made this possible.
ELIDA:
Elida Estate is located in Alto Quiel, Boquete, between 1,700m/5,600 – 1,950/6,200ft and has won top awards consistently in the SCAP BOP competitions in all of the different categories: Traditional Natural, Traditional Washed, and in both Geisha Natural and Geisha Washed category. Also, Elida Geisha has won The Good Food Awards in a couple of occasions.
The ultra-high elevation Elida Estate goes from 1,700m to 2,200m and part of it is located within the Volcan Baru National Park which is a protected World Heritage site, ecological reserve, and sanctuary for exotic plants, birds and mammals (like the tropical tiger). The farm has a total of 65ha of which 35ha are planted with Catuai, Geisha and a little bit of Typica, the rest is private forest reserve or is inside the VBNP . Coffee in this farm, for now, is only grown up to 1,900m in this area of Panamá coffee has not being planted and grown higher than this elevation. But, this year we even planted at 2,050m.
El BURRO:
El Burro Estate coffees are produced in one of the most undisturbed coffee farms in Panama, like Elida farm, part of it is also inside the Baru Volcano National Park. Organically grown, shade-grown, bird friendly, the farm is located at a very high elevation (farm goes up to 2,000m, coffee up to 1,800m), in a microclimate with very low temperatures for coffee.
El Burro Estate has a total of 50ha of which 20ha are planted with Geisha and Catuai, 10ha are to be planted and the rest is a private forest reserve or is inside the VBNP. Coffee in this farm is only grown up to 1800m (~6000ft).
Like it is in Elida Estate, the coffee trees are surrounded by the Volcan Baru National Park -a virgin-native cloudy rain forest, the nights get cold here, these low temperatures also extend the ripening time. All these unique growing conditions are shown in a distinguished cup.
For several years we have offered the third-wave coffee roaster our super-specialty Elida and El Burro coffees: Washed, Honey and Natural. Our 30+ (and growing) small roasters from all over the world keep coming back for their micro-lots. They cup and pick their preferred lots based on cup attributes. This 2016 season we did over 50 separate lots and are shipping each lot separated to our roasters in: Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Norway, Sweden, China, Hong Kong, Korea, and the USA.
Both of these coffee are produced under a unique world-condition for several reasons: first the farms are located at a very high elevation (Elida is one of the highest coffee farms in Panamá), coffee is grown in rich young volcanic soils, the temperatures are low, there is lots of fog and mist during the dry season, the coffee trees are surrounded by virgin-native cloudy rain forest, the nights get cold here thereby taking a tree from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 years to start producing (2 or 3 years longer to produce than average), these low temperatures also extend the ripening time 1 month longer (thereby the development of the bean). All these unique growing conditions show in a distinguished cup.
The Baru Volcano National Park (BVNP) is a protected World Heritage Site and one of the highest volcanoes in Central America, with 14,000ha and 7 different climate zones depending on the elevation and we are part of it in both of our farm. The fastest and closest coffee farm to the BVNP is Elida Estate.
Luito:
Is the third estate in the Lamastus Family Estates, it was founded by Luito Lamastus, brother of Wilford and son of Thatcher, Luito passed away in 2014 and he never saw the first harvest of the farm, but his father and brother take well care of this coffee and offer it to the same roasters that buy either El Burro and/or Elida. It is mainly a trout farm that is its main source of business, but the slopes of the estate were planted with Geisha coffee from Luito’s father nursery. It has around 17 Ha of only Geisha varietal and it goes from 1600-1750 Masl. This farm is located in Bajo Mono, Boquete that is north of the mountain range and is facing the Caribbean ocean which makes it a very humid microclimate with a constant mist and cold nights, these characteristics will be reflected in the cup with unique tropical notes. Luito, like El Burro and Elida is processed in Elida Estate’s mill using the same processes and drying methods.
