This coffee comes from Michela Estate, in the El Salto region of Boquete, Panama, at 1,600 m. Michela is part of the historic Finca Lérida, a coffee farm with roots going back to the early 20th century. Its founder, Norwegian engineer Toleff Bache Mönniche, designed a gravity-fed wet mill that used the steep terrain to move coffee through the processing stages and developed a siphon system for separating cherries by density. Lérida exported coffee to Germany as early as 1929.

Finca Lérida also continues to perform at the highest level of Panama's specialty coffee scene. At the 2026 Best of Panama, a Lérida Geisha Natural produced by María Antonela Amoruso won its category with 95.63 points, which is a strong indication of the quality being produced across the estate.

This exact Gesha is processed as "waterfall washed." The best cherries are first selected through flotation, then placed in bags under cold, constantly flowing water for 48 hours. Afterward, the coffee is removed, depulped, washed, and placed on African beds directly under the sun for 20 days.

In the cup, I find it extremely sweet and floral, similar to a honey flower, with gentle but lively acidity reminiscent of mandarin and soft orange.