Panama Bambito Estate Red Bourbon Natural

Region: Chiriqui, Panama

Producer: Bambito Estate

Varietal: Red Bourbon

Process: Natural

Tasting notes: Pineapple, mango smoothie, ruby grapefruit

Producer info and cup notes: 

In Chiriqui, Panama, Bambito Estate has been producing coffee since the early 1900s. Now in it's 4th and 5th generation in the hands of Priscilla and her son Ivan, the trees at Bambito Estate continue to produce some of our favorite coffees. Sitting between 1660-1800masl with 2 natural springs and its own cupping lab, greenhouse, and wet mill, Bambito Estate is ideally positioned for high quality and pays extreme attention to detail, not only to their prize winning washed Gesha, but also to the Caturra, Catuai, Yellow Catuai and Red Bourbon varietals also growing on their farm. Each year, they refine their processes and tweak their fermentation protocols, always seeking out incremental improvements and new flavor profiles. We feel it also very important to note, Priscilla and Ivan are some of the kindest folks we have ever met in coffee and have truly made an impression on us with their grace and respect, even when I personally was a greenbuyer with only 3 months experience under my belt a few years back, they took the time to visit and cup with us and even discuss sample roast profiles! We got to meetup with Ivan again at WOC San Diego this year and it was a delight. Now in our second year working with them on Shoebox, we are stoked to offer this traditionally processed Natural Red Bourbon. In the cup, we find an extremely intense fruited profile with a slightly lactic body that reminds us of a mango and pineapple smoothie. While hot, this is accompanied by a bright red ruby grapefruit acidity, that eventually cools into a slightly cleaner lemon-lime note and some very ripe apricot.