"Aromas of peach and apricot mingle with the tart lift of red currant. The palate is enriched by maple sugar warmth, resulting in a sweet, bright, and elegantly lingering cup."

Established in 1918 by Canadian immigrant Alexander Duncan, the Kotowa Duncan Estate has a storied legacy in Panama’s Boquete region. The name “Kotowa,” meaning “mountain” in the indigenous Ngäbe-Buglé language, reflects its breathtaking highland setting in Chiriquí Province. Blessed with Boquete’s renowned coffee-growing conditions—high-altitude terrain, fertile volcanic soil, and a favorable climate—the estate sits between 1,200 and 1,700 meters above sea level, producing coffees celebrated for their refinement and character.

The Rio Cristal Estate, the first property acquired by the family, stands out for its exceptionally high annual rainfall, influenced by the Bajareque—a fine mist-like drizzle unique to the area. This consistent humidity shapes a distinct microclimate, imparting delicate, nuanced flavors to the coffee. With no sharply defined dry season, the coffee trees can flower and fruit almost year-round, making this a rare and highly productive coffee-growing environment.

Production at Rio Cristal remains intentionally small, ensuring quality over quantity. Beyond coffee, the estate embraces diversification through tea gardens and eco-tourism initiatives such as birdwatching and beekeeping. Named after the crystal-clear river that runs through it, Rio Cristal’s name was chosen by the second generation of the Kotowa family in honor of Sylvia, symbolizing purity and natural beauty.

Today, the estate is stewarded by Alexander Duncan’s descendants, with Richard Koyner, a member of the family, overseeing operations. Richard has upheld the estate’s reputation for crafting specialty coffees of exceptional quality. This particular lot—a Green Tip Geisha planted at an impressive 2,000 masl—benefits from slower cherry maturation at high altitudes, yielding beans of remarkable density and intricate complexity.

Processed as a Natural, the coffee begins with meticulous handpicking of ripe, red cherries. After manual sorting to remove defects, the cherries are cleaned, and floaters are eliminated. They are then dried on African raised beds for up to 14 days, allowing gradual moisture reduction to 11%. Following a three-week resting period, the parchment is hulled, then sorted both manually and mechanically before being vacuum-packed to preserve peak freshness for export.

Variety : Green Tip Geisha
Altitude : 1800 masl
Process : Natural
Origin : Chiriqui