Eugene Altieri, often referred to as Don Gene, began growing coffee in Boquete over 20 years ago with no prior experience in the industry — just a keen business mind and a clear vision for what the land could become! The Geisha grown here has a storied lineage: Don Gene sourced his seeds directly from the Peterson family of Hacienda La Esmeralda, who reintroduced Geisha to the world in 2004 and took first place at the Best of Panama competition. Today, the family business is run by Don Gene's children, Anna Lynn and Francisco, alongside farm manager Roger Pitti.
The Ale lot is planted at 1820 masl on steeper terrain with fertile soil, mostly under shade beside the 25-hectare forest reserve of the Baru Volcano in the Mimas Estate farm at Callejon Seco, Boquete.
This lot was harvested January 13th, 2025 before being transported to Altieri's facilities in Alto Lino the following morning, where flotation separated low-density cherries. The cherries were then placed in GrainPro bags and submerged in cold river water for 4 days to complete fermentation, before being dried at a constant 18°C and 50% humidity for 30 days.
Brewing recommendations:
- Rest 18+ days before brewing
- Filter: 12.5g to 200g water | 3–4 pour recipe | 90°C
- Espresso: 1:2.6–2.8 ratio | 91°C | 30–34 seconds
P.S. Want to learn more about Altieri Coffee? We have a full blog post — click here to read more.
