Panama Bambito Estate

We are thrilled to be able to offer coffee from Bambito Estate, a multi award winning coffee farm in the Volcan region of Panama's highlands surrounding the Baru Volcano. The farm grows a number of coffee varieties including a 2021 Best of Panama first place Geisha Washed coffee called 'Avalanche of Flavor' that sold for a whopping $1,502 per pound (unroasted) at auction. They also took 5th place in the Geisha Natural category ($279 per pound). Barry Levine, Willoughby's owner is one of the long standing international jurors of the Best of Panama. In the prior year he gave Bambito's washed Geisha his highest career score and noted it as one of the best Geisha coffees he had cupped. Beyond these exotic and profoundly expensive varieties, Bambito also produces larger quantities of more down-to-earth varieties like this blend of Caturra and Cataui, and has presented here an excellent every day coffee at a good price.

Multiple generations carry on the tradition of Bambito Estate

Bambito Estate was founded in the early 1900s, and is still run by the same family. The farm is situated in an unusual place; enclosed on two sides by national forests, and protected by mountain ridges on the other sides. This location creates two microclimates perfect for producing top coffee, being protected from the more extreme elements that normally exist at higher altitudes. The farm is also quite self-sufficient. Two natural springs feed the wetmill on site, and the farm has a cupping room for sampling coffee and a plant nursery to keep genetic stock. Coffee byproducts from the wetmill are also used for fertilizer.

This lot is a mix of Caturra and Catuai. Catuai is a varietal developed in the mid-twentieth century, a cross between the Mondo Novo and Caturra varietals, both of which were created by selective cross-breeding programs. Mondo Novo was the result of combining Bourbon and Typica varietals, and Caturra is a combination of two Red Bourbon mutations. It is fully washed, meaning the outer skin and pulp (fruit surrounding the coffee husk) are totally removed during milling before being sun dried on patios.

• Producer: Itza Priscilla Sitton Vega de Amar
• Farm: Bambito Estate
• Township: Cerro Punta
• District: Tierras Altas
• Province: Chiriqui
• Altitude: 1600-1800 meters; 5250-5900 feet
• Coffee Variety: Caturra and Catuai
• Processing: Fully Washed