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Panama Elida Natural Catuai

My Friend's Coffee
$32.00

Cherry, Raspberry, Fudge

The Elida Estate is widely regarded as one of the best producers in the world. It's won the Best of Panama competition multiple times, and its coffees regularly set, then beat their own price records. The farm is best known for its Geishas, Green Tip in particular, but this Natural Catuai has become a cult hit for a couple of reasons. First, it allows commoners with coffee budgets that don't quite reach 6k per pound—yes, they have really sold coffee for that much—to experience an Elida brew, and second, it's just really really good.

Compared to last year’s harvest, this one leans more sumptuous. Decadent tones take the wheel while lively fruit works the pedals (driving metaphors are never a good idea). Cherry and raspberry lead the charge. The former recalls freshly plucked fruit — sweet, juicy, with a gentle zing. The latter stays bright and piquant, bringing lift to the cup.

If fruit occupies one side of the seesaw (onto playground metaphors now), the rounder, heftier tones anchor the other. Fudge is unmistakable in this year’s harvest. No need to wait for cooling to round the mouthfeel — it arrives early, its impact as textural as it is flavorful. A subtle graininess evokes crystallized sugars woven through a bar of fudge. As the cup cools, everything converges into a dessert-like experience: fruity, sweet, and beautifully balanced.