Best of Panama Coffee: What It Is and How to Try Award-Winning Coffee at Home

By Juan Carlos Sosa | Boquete Coffee Traders

Best of Panama Coffee: What It Is and How to Try Award-Winning Coffee at Home

Every year, a small group of coffee farms in Panama submit their finest lots to a single competition. International judges fly in from the US, Asia, Europe, and Australia. They cup the coffees blind. They score them. And then the top-scoring lots go to auction — where buyers from around the world compete to own a piece of the best coffee on the planet.

It's called the Best of Panama — and it is, without exaggeration, the most important specialty coffee competition and auction in the world.

The 2026 results were announced on August 1, 2026, with Lérida Estate taking Geisha Natural (95.63 points), Elida Estate taking Geisha Washed (96.25 points), and Altieri Specialty Coffee taking Varietals (93.63 points). Hacienda La Esmeralda won the Copa Panamá for the highest accumulated score across the competition. The auction has not been held yet, so there are no 2026 prices to report — I will update this page the moment the lots are sold. For context on what those prices can look like: in 2025, a single lot of Washed Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda scored 98 out of 100 points — the highest score in the competition's 29-year history — and sold at auction for $30,204 per kilogram.

But here's what most people don't know: you don't need to bid at auction to drink Best of Panama-caliber coffee. Many of the estates that compete — and win — also produce retail coffee that's available to buy online. I carry several of them at Boquete Coffee Traders, shipped fresh from Panama to your door.

Let me walk you through what the Best of Panama is, how it works, who won in 2026, and how you can taste award-winning Panama coffee at home.

What Is the Best of Panama?

The Best of Panama (BOP) is an annual coffee competition and auction organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP). It was founded in 1996, during a time when global coffee prices had crashed and Panama's coffee industry was struggling to survive.

The idea was simple: create a competition that would showcase the quality of Panamanian coffee to the world. Producers would submit their best lots, international judges would evaluate them through blind cupping, and the winning coffees would be sold at auction to the highest bidder.

It worked beyond anyone's expectations. The Best of Panama didn't just save Panama's coffee industry — it transformed it into the most prestigious origin in the specialty coffee world.

The competition's breakthrough moment came in 2004, when a Geisha variety coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda stunned the judging panel. The coffee was so unusual — intensely floral, tea-like, unlike anything from Latin America — that some judges thought they had been accidentally given an Ethiopian sample. That lot sold for $21 per pound, a record at the time. It was the beginning of the Geisha phenomenon and the beginning of Panama's rise to the top of the coffee world.

How the Best of Panama Competition Works

The BOP follows a rigorous, transparent process:

Submission: SCAP member farms submit their best coffee lots for evaluation. In 2025, 180 lots were submitted from 73 SCAP member farms — a record number. The 2026 edition, the 30th in the competition's history, judged 102 finalist lots.

Categories: Coffees are divided into three main categories: Geisha Washed, Geisha Natural, and Varietals (non-Geisha varieties including Catuai, Caturra, Pacamara, Typica, Laurina, and others, both washed and natural).

Preliminary judging: At least seven experienced Panamanian cuppers evaluate all submissions in blind tastings to narrow the field.

International judging: The top-scoring lots are then cupped by a panel of international specialty coffee buyers and experts — in 2025, 22 judges from around the world participated, and the 2026 edition drew 95 official and invited judges in total. Coffees are scored on aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, sweetness, and overall impression using the SCA cupping protocol.

Auction: The highest-scoring coffees in each category are entered into an electronic auction, where specialty roasters, cafés, and collectors from around the globe bid for the winning lots.

Best of Panama 2026 Results: Who Won

The 2026 winners were announced on August 1, 2026, at the end of the competition's 30th edition. Below is the full podium in all three categories, with cupping scores. The auction is still pending, so no prices have been set yet — check back here for the results.

Geisha Washed — 2026 Podium

• 1st Place: Lamastus Family Estates — Elida Estate — 96.25 points
• 2nd Place: Yaneth de Lucich — Finca El Pergamino — 96.00 points
• 3rd Place: Familia Peterson — Hacienda La Esmeralda — 95.25 points

A quarter of a point separated first from second — the tightest Geisha Washed finish in years.

Geisha Natural — 2026 Podium

• 1st Place: María Antonella Amoruso C. — Lérida Estate — 95.63 points
• 2nd Place: Familia Peterson — Hacienda La Esmeralda — 95.50 points
• 3rd Place: Lamastus Family Estates — Elida Estate — 95.25 points

Varietals — 2026 Podium

• 1st Place: Familia Altieri — Altieri Specialty Coffee — 93.63 points
• 2nd Place: Familia Peterson — Hacienda La Esmeralda — 92.63 points
• 3rd Place: Ezequiel Batista — Finca Santa Teresa — 92.38 points

Copa Panamá 2026

The Copa Panamá goes to the producer with the highest accumulated score across the whole competition. In 2026 it went to Hacienda La Esmeralda, which placed on all three podiums without winning any of them outright.

Four names fill almost every place on the 2026 podiums — and we carry coffee from all four. Elida Estate, run by the Lamastus family, won Geisha Washed and placed third in Natural. Lérida Estate, one of the oldest coffee farms in Panama, took the top spot in Geisha Natural. Altieri Specialty Coffee won the Varietals category. And Hacienda La Esmeralda, the family that started the Geisha phenomenon in 2004, placed on all three podiums and took the Copa Panamá.

Taste the 2026 Winning Estates at Home

The competition micro-lots go to auction. But the same farms, the same soil, and the same families produce Geisha you can brew this week:

• Finca Lérida Geisha (250g) — from the estate that won 1st Place Geisha Natural at Best of Panama 2026. Floral, complex, grown at the estate's highest elevations.
• Elida Estate Geisha Washed (120g) — the same estate and the same process that took 1st Place Geisha Washed 2026. Clean, floral, and precise.
• Elida Estate Geisha Natural (120g) — the natural counterpart, from the lot family that placed 3rd in Geisha Natural 2026. Deeper fruit, more sweetness.
• Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Gift Box — Natural + Washed (2x100g) — from the estate that placed 2nd in Geisha Natural and 3rd in Geisha Washed in 2026. Both processes side by side in one box, which is the single best way to understand the difference. Very limited quantities.
• Altieri Specialty Typica Washed (340g) — from the family that won 1st Place Varietals at Best of Panama 2026. Clean, sweet, and endlessly drinkable.

Best of Panama 2025 Results: A Historic Year

The 2025 Best of Panama was a record-breaking edition. Hacienda La Esmeralda achieved something that had never been done before — first place in all three major categories, earning the Panama Cup for Best Overall Producer.

Geisha Washed:

• 1st Place: Hacienda La Esmeralda — 98.00 points (highest score in BOP history)
• 2nd Place: Finca Sophia — 96.25 points
• 3rd Place: Nuguo Café (Gallardo Family) — 95.27 points

Geisha Natural:

• 1st Place: Hacienda La Esmeralda — 97.00 points
• 2nd Place: Finca Los Cenisos — 96.25 points
• 3rd Place: Finca Sophia — 96.25 points

Varietals:

• 1st Place: Hacienda La Esmeralda (Laurina, El Velo) — 92.88 points
• 2nd Place: Black Moon Farm (Hunter Tedman) — 92.63 points
• 3rd Place: Cantera Farm (Garrido Family) — 92.25 points

At auction, the winning Geisha Washed lot sold for $30,204 per kilogram to Julith Coffee from Dubai — after 549 bids. The Geisha Natural sold for $23,608/kg to JD.com, and the Laurina varietal sold for $8,040/kg to Beijing Specialty Drink Co. The total auction value exceeded $2.8 million, with a weighted average of $2,861 per kilogram across all lots.

A Brief History of Best of Panama Records

The price trajectory of BOP auction coffees tells the story of Panama's rise:

• 2004: Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha debuts — sold for $21/lb
• 2007: Hacienda La Esmeralda sets a new record at $130/lb
• 2017: Finca Lérida wins 1st Place Traditional Washed (Moi Honey, 89.735 points) and 2nd Place (El Príncipe del Café, 89.559 points)
• 2019: Elida Estates Geisha Natural sells for $1,029/lb — first to break $1,000
• 2020: Garrido Specialty Coffee wins 1st Place Traditional (Mama Cata Mokkita, 91 points)
• 2021: Garrido Specialty Coffee wins 1st Place Traditional again (Mama Cata Mokkita, 92 points)
• 2023: Carmen Estate Geisha Washed sells for $10,005/kg
• 2024: Elida Estates Geisha Honey sells for $13,518/kg
• 2025: Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Washed sells for $30,204/kg — current world record
• 2026: Elida Estate wins Geisha Washed (96.25), Lérida Estate wins Geisha Natural (95.63), and Altieri Specialty Coffee wins Varietals (93.63) — auction pending

The Farms Behind the Wins: Panama's Coffee Royalty

The Best of Panama has produced a roster of legendary estates, and several of them are available to buy online through our store:

Hacienda La Esmeralda

The Peterson family farm in Boquete is the estate that started everything. Their 2004 Geisha entry astonished the judges and launched the variety that now defines Panamanian coffee. Since then Esmeralda has set record after record, including the 98-point, $30,204/kg Washed Geisha of 2025 — the highest score and price in the competition's history. In 2026 they placed 2nd in Geisha Natural and 3rd in Geisha Washed.

Buy the Esmeralda Geisha Gift Box →

Carmen Estate

Founded by the Franceschi family in Paso Ancho, Volcán, Carmen Estate is one of Panama's most decorated names. Its Washed Geisha took 1st place at the Best of Panama with a record 96.50 points and set the all-time auction record at $10,005 per kilogram. We now carry it in very limited quantities.

Buy Carmen Estate Geisha (225g) →

Finca Lérida

One of Panama's oldest coffee estates, founded in 1924 by a Norwegian Panama Canal engineer. Finca Lérida has been a consistent top-10 BOP finisher for over 15 years — and in 2026 the estate took 1st Place in Geisha Natural. They won 1st Place at BOP in 2001, were named the #1 coffee in the world at the 2003 SCAA competition in Boston (out of 118 entries), and took 1st and 2nd place in the 2017 BOP Traditional Washed category. The estate spans five farms between 1,500 and 2,000 masl and grows Geisha, Catuai, Pacamara, and Typica.

We carry several Finca Lérida coffees:

• Finca Lérida Geisha (250g) — Floral, complex, and grown at the highest elevations on the estate.
• Finca Lérida Catuai Washed (500g) — Chocolate, nuts, cherries, passion fruit. An outstanding espresso coffee.
• Finca Lérida Catuai Honey (250g) — Caramel, stone fruit, brown sugar. The honey process adds a luscious sweetness.

Kotowa

A family-owned estate run by the Koyner family — Ricardo Koyner is the current President of SCAP. Kotowa has won multiple BOP awards and was recognized by Panama's National Environmental Agency as the winner of the Year's Environmentally Cleanest Industry award. Known for sustainable practices and exceptional Geisha and Typica coffees.

Shop Kotowa Coffee →

Lamastus Family Estates (Elida)

The Lamastus family has been growing coffee in Panama for four generations. Their Elida Estate, at extreme altitude in Boquete, produces some of the most celebrated Geisha lots in BOP history — including the $1,029/lb record-setter in 2019 and the $13,518/kg lot in 2024. In 2026 they returned to the very top, winning 1st Place Geisha Washed and placing 3rd in Geisha Natural.

• Elida Estate Geisha Washed (120g) — the winning process from 2026.
• Elida Estate Geisha Natural (120g) — richer, fruit-forward, third on the 2026 Natural podium.
• Shop all Lamastus Family Estates

Buy the 2026 Geisha Washed winner →

Altieri Specialty Coffee

The Altieri family farms Mima Estate in Alto Quiel, Boquete — the same high, misty corner of the district that produces some of Panama's most celebrated lots. They are not a Geisha headline act, and that is exactly the point: in 2026 they took 1st Place in the Varietals category with 93.63 points, beating Hacienda La Esmeralda and Finca Santa Teresa with classic Latin American varietals grown and processed impeccably. If you want to understand how good Panamanian coffee is beyond Geisha, start here.

• Altieri Specialty Typica Washed (340g) — Clean and sweet, with citrus, almond, and a soft, lingering finish.
• Altieri Specialty Catuai Natural (340g) — Fruit-forward and full-bodied, with berry sweetness and a chocolate base.

Shop Altieri Specialty Coffee →

Garrido Specialty Coffee

The Garrido family operates the Mama Cata and Cantera farms in the Boquete highlands. Their track record at BOP is remarkable: 1st Place Traditional in 2020 (Mama Cata Mokkita, 91 points), 1st Place Traditional in 2021 (Mama Cata Mokkita, 92 points), and 3rd Place Varietals in 2025 (Cantera Farm, 92.25 points). Their Geisha is grown at the Mama Cata estate and delivers refined florals, bright acidity, and a clean, sweet finish.

Shop Garrido Specialty Coffee →

Gran Del Val

A family farm in Alto Quiel, Boquete — one of the most prized sub-regions for high-altitude coffee. Gran Del Val has been producing specialty coffee since 1914 and is known for exceptional micro-lot Geisha and Catuai.

Jasmine, citrus, caramel, and stone fruit. Grown at 1,600 masl.

Buy Gran Del Val Geisha Honey (250g) →

Janson Coffee

The Janson family, descendants of Swedish immigrant Carl Axel Janson who arrived in Panama in 1941, run one of the most sustainably operated coffee farms in the country. Their Los Alpes farm in Volcán is powered by 400 solar panels, and they use mountain spring water for processing.

Shop Janson Family Coffee →

How to Try Best of Panama-Level Coffee at Home

The auction lots that make headlines are micro-lots of 20–25 kilograms, purchased by specialty roasters who sell the resulting cups for $50–$100 each. For most people, that's out of reach.

But here's the thing: the same estates that win Best of Panama also produce retail coffee from the same farms, the same terroir, and the same varietals. You're not getting the exact competition lot — but you're getting coffee grown by the same families, at the same altitudes, using the same expertise. The quality is exceptional.

For brewing, pour-over (V60, Chemex, Kalita Wave) is the best way to experience the nuance and clarity that makes these coffees special. Use water at 200°F (93°C), a medium-fine grind, and drink it black. If you don't have a grinder, the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder is an affordable option that handles pour-over grind sizes well. And if you want to take freshness all the way to the source and roast green beans yourself, see our guide to the best home coffee roasters.

For everyday Panamanian coffees like Café Palo Alto, any brewing method works — drip, French press, espresso, cold brew. It's a smooth, balanced 100% Arabica from the Tedman Family Farm (est. 1912) that shows off Boquete's terroir beautifully at a very accessible price. It even takes well to Turkish-style brewing in a cezve or a Vietnamese phin, and it is a great everyday choice for a coffee percolator too.

What's Next: World of Coffee Panama 2026

Panama's dominance in specialty coffee will be on full display in October 2026, when the country hosts the World of Coffee — the first time the event has ever been held in Latin America or in a coffee-producing country. The World Barista Championship will take place alongside it at the Panama Convention Center in Panama City, October 23–25, 2026.

It's a landmark moment for Panama and a recognition of how much this small country has shaped the global specialty coffee industry. From the founding of the Best of Panama in 1996 to the discovery of Geisha in 2004 to the $30,000/kg auction records of today — Panama has rewritten the rules of what coffee can be.

Buy Best of Panama Award-Winning Coffee Online

At Boquete Coffee Traders, we carry coffee from multiple Best of Panama winning estates — including Hacienda La Esmeralda, Carmen Estate, Finca Lérida, Kotowa, Lamastus Family Estates, Garrido Specialty Coffee, Gran Del Val, and Janson Coffee. Every order ships directly from Panama via FedEx or DHL and is delivered in 5 days. Free shipping on orders over $70.

I'm Juan Carlos Sosa, the founder of this store and a lifelong Panamanian. If you want to taste what the Best of Panama is all about — without the auction prices — this is where to start.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best of Panama Coffee

What is the Best of Panama?

The Best of Panama (BOP) is an annual coffee competition and auction run by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP) since 1996. Producers submit their finest lots, international judges score them through blind cupping, and the winning coffees are sold at a global online auction. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious specialty coffee competition in the world.

Who won the Best of Panama in 2026?

In Geisha Washed, Lamastus Family Estates took first place with Elida Estate at 96.25 points, ahead of Yaneth de Lucich of Finca El Pergamino at 96.00 and Familia Peterson of Hacienda La Esmeralda at 95.25. In Geisha Natural, first place went to María Antonella Amoruso C. of Lérida Estate at 95.63 points, followed by Hacienda La Esmeralda at 95.50 and Elida Estate at 95.25. In Varietals, Familia Altieri of Altieri Specialty Coffee won with 93.63 points. Hacienda La Esmeralda took the Copa Panamá for the highest accumulated score. The 2026 auction has not yet taken place, so no prices have been set.

Which coffee won the Varietals category at Best of Panama 2026?

Altieri Specialty Coffee, farmed by the Altieri family at Mima Estate in Alto Quiel, Boquete, won the 2026 Varietals category with 93.63 points, ahead of Hacienda La Esmeralda at 92.63 and Finca Santa Teresa at 92.38. The Varietals category covers every non-Geisha variety, including Catuai, Caturra, Pacamara, Typica, and Laurina. Boquete Coffee Traders carries Altieri Specialty Typica Washed and Catuai Natural in 340g bags.

Who won the Best of Panama in 2025?

Hacienda La Esmeralda swept all three major categories in 2025 and earned the Panama Cup for Best Overall Producer. Its Washed Geisha scored 98 points — the highest in the competition's history — and sold at auction for $30,204 per kilogram, a new world record.

Can you buy Best of Panama winning coffee online?

Yes. While the exact auction micro-lots are bought by specialty roasters, many estates that compete and win at the Best of Panama also sell retail coffee from the same farms. Boquete Coffee Traders carries Geisha from the 2026 podium estates — Hacienda La Esmeralda, Lérida Estate and Elida Estate — plus Carmen Estate, Kotowa, Garrido, Gran Del Val, and Janson, shipped from Panama and delivered in 5 days.

Why is Best of Panama coffee so expensive?

The record prices come from the auction, where roasters and collectors bid on tiny competition lots of the highest-scoring coffee. In 2025 the winning Geisha reached $30,204 per kilogram. Those are micro-lots of 20 to 25 kilograms. Retail coffee from the same estates is far more affordable and is the practical way to taste this quality at home.

What is Geisha coffee and why does it dominate the Best of Panama?

Geisha is a coffee variety known for an intensely floral, tea-like cup with jasmine and citrus notes. It stunned judges at the 2004 Best of Panama and launched Panama to the top of the specialty coffee world. Grown at high altitude on Panama's volcanic slopes, Geisha has broken auction records repeatedly and remains the variety most associated with Best of Panama wins.