Region: Alto Quiel, Boquete, Chiriqui
Elevation: 1980 masl
About: Eugene Altieri (Don Gene) began growing coffee in Boquete over 20 years ago. Without prior experience in the industry, but with a clear business perspective, he recognised the potential for a family-run operation. The family’s two farms, Mima and Pipim, are located in Alto Quiel and Alto Lino respectively, and are planted with Caturra, Catuai, Typica, and Geisha.
Altieri’s Geisha traces back to seeds sourced from the Peterson family of Hacienda La Esmeralda, whose 2004 Best of Panama win reintroduced the variety to global attention. Following Don Gene’s semi-retirement seven years ago, the farms are now managed by his children, including Anna Lynn and Francisco, alongside farm manager Roger Pitti.
All Geisha is planted at Mima Estate, just south-east of Volcán Barú National Park. Individual sections are named after Eugene’s grandchildren. This lot comes from the Alessa section and was processed as a natural, with a short mosto fermentation before drying, producing a pronounced fruit profile with a refined structure.
