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 DILGO plot sits at 1,780 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Barú Volcano — the first Mima Estates lot to be planted with Geisha! In fact, the nickname, Dilgo, belongs to one of founder Eugene Altieri's grandchildren, a personal touch that speaks to how deeply family runs through this farm.
Processing on the DILGO lot is meticulous and deliberate. This Geisha was harvested by hand at full ripeness. The team floated and pulped the cherries, then fermented the coffee in its mucilage for 18 hours using wild yeast naturally present. After washing, the coffee dried for about 7 days on African beds in a sunlit greenhouse before resting in a temperature- and humidity-controlled warehouse.
Brewing recommendations:
- Rest time: 2-3 weeks after roast
- Filter: 1:16-1:17 ratio, 91°C
- Espresso: 1:2.7 ratio, 88, 32s
P.S. Want to learn more about Altieri Coffee? We have a full blog post — click here to read more.
