Panamá Mi Finquita – Lote 111
Mi Finquita
To reach Mi Finquita, you have to travel along approximately five kilometres of unpaved mountain road, scattered with stones and gravel, passing small, isolated rural homesteads as the vegetation grows increasingly dense.
Upon arrival, you find yourself in a beautiful, remote place, where coffee cultivation is part of a lush, forested landscape. It becomes clear that this location, with its altitude, cool climate and pure air, is a paradise where an outstanding coffee grower can coax extraordinary coffees from the land.
This is Mi Finquita, a project established in 2005 by the highly experienced coffee growers and agronomists Ratibor Hartmann and his wife, Tessie. Ratibor is one of the brothers in the Hartmann family, owners of the renowned Finca Hartmann, so coffee runs through his veins—and it shows! In response to the growing demand from the specialty coffee sector, particularly for exceptionally high-quality lots, the Mi Finquita project was born: a dream come true.
The farm is located in and around Los Pozos, at elevations ranging from 1,650 to 1,900 metres above sea level. Varieties such as Caturra, Bourbon, Geisha, Typica, Chicho Gallo, AR 36, Pacamara and Maragogype, among others, are planted and in production. The climate is pleasantly tropical, with nighttime temperatures dropping as low as 4°C and occasional frost and ice. Average temperatures are around 18°C during the day and 15°C in the morning, reaching a maximum of 26°C on summer afternoons.
Ratibor explains:
“This is a privileged area. Although coffee plantations existed here in the past, the region was not widely recognised. However, we were looking for a very special terroir. This area has a strong geothermal influence due to the presence of hot springs and a high concentration of minerals. Its proximity to Volcán Barú has enriched the soil with volcanic ash from past eruptions. Furthermore, our proximity to the Central Mountain Range exposes us to the influence of both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. This means we receive winds and rain carrying minerals from both coasts, giving our coffees unique characteristics.”
Tessie and Ratibor have chosen this magical location for their Geisha plots, which can be reached on foot by following a stream fed by the Los Pozos hot springs. Here, where everything is calm and serene, the young coffee plants are gently cradled by a soft sea breeze that regulates the temperature and creates optimal conditions for Geisha cultivation.
The farm’s fermentation and drying facilities, along with its laboratory, are at the forefront of modern specialty coffee production. It is clear that this father-and-daughter team is determined to push the boundaries even further and explore everything this Panamanian terroir can offer to our senses.
In producing their coffees, they recognise the need to stand out in such a competitive specialty coffee market. Rather than simply producing coffee, they describe their approach as “designing” coffee, applying scientific, traditional or innovative fermentation methods while always taking their customers’ needs and preferences into account. The result is a series of limited-edition specialty coffee lots with exotic flavour profiles.
All farm operations are managed in harmony with the environment, using organic products in minimal quantities and only when necessary.
This approach allows each harvest to reveal multiple interpretations of the same landscape, offering buyers a diverse range of profiles shaped by altitude and microclimate.
Variety
During the cupping session we held with them at the farm itself, two washed Caturra lots (numbers 75 and 99) and a natural-processed lot (number 111) particularly caught our attention.
Caturra is one of the classic and emblematic coffee varieties of Panama, playing an important role in the country’s coffee-growing landscape. Here, Caturra grows in the rich, well-drained soils around the active Barú Volcano, where nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium abound.
With its preferred growing altitude ranging from 1,200 to 1,900 metres above sea level, Caturra finds an ideal home in Panama’s highlands. At these elevations, yields per coffee plant decrease; however, the beans become exceptionally dense and rich in sugars, which act as precursors to the elegant aromas and flavours that give these coffees their remarkable sweetness and complexity.
The Bajareque effect also plays a role in this process. This is a very fine, gentle and persistent drizzle that occurs mainly in mountainous regions and highlands, particularly around Boquete. Its droplets are so small and light that they seem to float or hang in the air rather than fall like ordinary rain. This phenomenon protects all the varieties grown in the region from intense solar radiation, slowing the ripening process of the coffee cherries.
24 € – 96 €
Envío gratuito a partir de 40€ de compra. (Península y Baleares)