We have added one more great BOP Geisha to our catalog! At the online auction, which ended on September 17, we managed to place the highest bid for the incredible Finca La Aurora’s Geisha. At the Best of Panama (BOP) 14th edition this coffee was placed in the prestigious 11th place in the Geisha Washed category.
We are looking forward to receiving it and offering it to you soon. And in the meantime, make sure to stay tuned for its pre-sale. As usual with our most exclusive coffees, you will have the opportunity to reserve it at a special price.
The global pandemic of the new Coronavirus has forced the Best of Panama organizers to conduct a virtual edition. The 14th annual competition of the best Geishas from Panama (and to many specialists, in the whole world) took place between 27 and 30 July. 45 farmers from the Central America country have submited 161 specialty coffee lots. They were divided into 5 categories. Two for Geisha – natural and washed, followed by one for Pacamara and two categories for the other traditional Arabica varieties.
The Specialty Coffee Association of Panama had announced that the national jury cuppings would take place in 8 laboratories in Bouquet, Volcano and Piedra de Candela. During these cuppings, the jury selected the finalists.
Do you remember that our coffee hunter, Jordan Dabov, was part of the international jury of Best of Panama in 2018 and 2019?
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The number one coffee from the Washed Geisha category, Finca Sophia Olympia’s coffee, sold for a world record auction price of US$1300.50 per pound. The winning bidder is Pick Coffee. It broke the record of last year’s winner in the naturally-processed Geisha category of Elida Estate, which sold for US$ 1,029 per pound.
The naturally-processed number one Geisha from the Guarumo farm received US$ 1000,50 per pound. In this category Finca Sophia Olympia came second. Its owners won the Panama Cup for overall performance.
Panama Ironman IV Geisha BOP #11 2020, the coffee we can’t wait to taste, was only a notch away from the top 10 of washed Geishas. Its producer is the farmer Roberto Brenes in Auromar Finca La Aurora. Señor Brenes is probably very happy with the performance of his coffees this year. It is only logical, since among the naturally-processed Geishas, his coffee ranks fifth.
However, this is not a surpise! The owner of Finca La Aurora has already garnered many awards. In 2013 and 2016, his naturally-processed Geisha won the first postition in ВОР. Since then, everybody started calling the farm’s Geishas Ironman.
Finca La Aurora is located between 1570 and 1770 MASL in the highlands of Candela, Chiriquí. Because of altitude and the microclimate from the forest, the harvest begins late in December and ends in mid-March. The beans take full benefit of the drop-in humidity between December and January. And they ripen under the shade in the sunny dry summer that runs through mid-April.
The outcome is a limited-supply, highly complex coffee. The quality is very consistent due to the farmer’s and his workers’ hard work.
All the Auromar Geishas are hand collected at the peak of ripeness. Harvesters receive a premium and a bonus well above the industry standards. This encourages them to carefully pick only the ripe cherries. After collection in the field, workers micro select the beans upon arrival at the mill. Only those which meet the highest quality standards go to procession. The Geishas rest for at least 6 weeks after the depulping, fermentation and drying. Only after those processes they are ready for the last quality check.
We can hardly wait to receive Panama Ironman IV Geisha ВОР #11 2020! Because we are certain it is one great BOP Geisha! Finca La Aurora’s Geishas always come with a very clean cup. Furthermore, they exhibit the common traits of the Auromar terroir, citrus and floral notes. And they also win fans with their subtle undertones of jasmine, lemon grass and orange.
