Elida Estate Coffee by Lamastus Family: Buy World-Record Panama Coffee Online
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By Juan Carlos Sosa | Boquete Coffee Traders
In 2022, a single kilogram of coffee sold for $13,286.
That's $6,034 per pound. A single 12-oz bag would have cost you over $4,500. It's the highest price ever paid for coffee, anywhere in the world — a record that still stands.
The coffee was a Geisha from Lamastus Family Estates in Boquete, Panama. Specifically, the Elida Aguacatillo Honey, grown at over 2,000 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Volcán Barú National Park. And that wasn't a one-time fluke. It was the latest chapter in a 100+ year story that has made the Lamastus family one of the most decorated names in specialty coffee anywhere on Earth.
Here's the good news for anyone who wants to drink from this legendary farm without spending four figures: Boquete Coffee Traders carries Elida Estate Catuai by the Lamastus family online — the same farm, the same family standards, in three processing styles, all at $39 a bag. Shipped fresh from Panama in 5 business days.
This is the complete guide to Elida Estate coffee from Lamastus Family Estates: the family history, the world records, every Lamastus product we carry, and which one to buy first.
Who Is Lamastus Family Estates?
The Lamastus story begins in 1918, when a Kentucky-born coffee pioneer named Robert Lamastus arrived in Panama and planted his first Arabica trees at 1,700 meters above sea level, on the skirts of Volcán Barú in Boquete. At the time, he was processing and exporting what was already considered some of the highest-quality coffee in the world.
That farm became Elida Estate — and over the next century, it would become the highest coffee farm in Panama and one of the most-awarded specialty coffee estates anywhere on the planet.
Today, Lamastus Family Estates is run by three generations working side by side: Thatcher Lamastus (the grandfather), his son Wilford Lamastus Sr., and grandson Wilford Lamastus Jr. The family now owns and operates three estates in the Boquete region:
- Elida Estate — the original 1918 farm, located in Alto Quiel, Boquete, sitting at 1,700 to 2,500 meters above sea level. It's the highest coffee farm in Panama. More than half the estate sits inside the Volcán Barú National Park, a protected ecological reserve and World Heritage Site.
- El Burro Estate — located between 1,575 and 2,000 meters, also consistently among the top-scoring lots at Best of Panama.
- Luito Geisha Estate — founded by Luito Lamastus, Wilford's brother, who passed away in 2014 before seeing his first harvest. The family has carried on his legacy.
Three estates. Three generations. One unbroken obsession with quality.
The Lamastus Awards List Reads Like a Coffee Hall of Fame
Most coffee farms in the world will go their entire history without winning a major specialty competition. Lamastus has won them so often that the question is which year to start with.
Here is what this family has done at the Best of Panama — the country's most prestigious specialty coffee competition — and on the world stage:
- 7 Best of Panama titles total — the second-highest number of wins in the history of the competition as of 2024.
- 2018 — First producer in history to win both Geisha categories (Washed and Natural) in the same year. Same year the Elida farm turned 100. Wilford Lamastus Sr. also took home the Panama Cup as Producer of the Year. The Elida Geisha Washed set a category record at 94.66 points.
- 2019 — They did it again. Won both Geisha categories for the second year running, and broke their own records: Elida Geisha Natural scored 95.25 — a new all-time competition record — and the Washed scored 95.
- 2022 — World record at auction. The Elida Aguacatillo Geisha Honey lot sold for $13,286 per kilogram ($6,034/lb) — the highest price ever paid for coffee in human history. The same year, they won the Panama Cup again as Producer of the Year.
- 2024 — Won Best of Panama Geisha Natural category for their seventh BoP title.
- First 98-point coffee in CoffeeReview.com's 24-year history. Awarded to a Lamastus lot — the only coffee ever to break the 98-point ceiling on the world's longest-running coffee review platform.
- Multiple Good Food Awards for Elida Geisha.
Three generations of judges from three continents have stood up after cupping Lamastus coffee and said it was the best they had ever tasted. Mike Perry of Klatch Coffee scored their 2018 Geisha Washed at 97 points. Will Young of Campos Coffee called it "the Unicorn coffee." Taroh Suzuki of Saza gave it 97.75 — the highest score he had ever given in his career.
Why You Can Taste It in the Cup
The Lamastus reputation is not built on marketing. It's built on three things the family has done relentlessly for over a century:
1. Ultra-high elevation. Elida Estate climbs to 2,500 meters above sea level. At that altitude, the temperatures are colder, the coffee cherries develop more slowly, and the beans pack in more sugars, more acidity, and more aromatic complexity. There is no higher coffee farm in Panama. Period.
2. A national park as a neighbor. Over half of Elida Estate sits inside Volcán Barú National Park — a virgin cloud forest, a World Heritage Site, and one of the most biodiverse places in Central America. The trees are shade-grown, bird-friendly, and surrounded by untouched native forest. That terroir cannot be replicated on a cleared, sun-grown plantation.
3. Three generations of skin in the game. Wilford Sr. learned from his father Thatcher, who learned from his father Robert. Wilford Jr. is now learning from both. That continuity is rare in any agricultural product — in specialty coffee, it's almost unheard of. Every fermentation tweak, every harvest decision, every drying protocol carries 100+ years of accumulated knowledge.
Shop Elida Estate Coffee — The Lamastus Catuai Trilogy
Here's the part most coffee lovers don't realize: Lamastus Family Estates doesn't just grow Geisha. They also grow Catuai — a classic Latin American Arabica varietal known for its sweetness, balance, and approachability — on the same legendary land, with the same obsessive attention to detail.
Their Catuai never makes auction headlines because it's not Geisha. But it comes from the same family, the same farm, the same altitude, and the same processing facility that produced the most expensive coffee in history. And it's available at a fraction of the price.
At Boquete Coffee Traders we carry all three processing styles of Elida Estate Catuai, side by side — the closest thing you'll find to a Lamastus tasting flight. Each one is $39 for a 340g bag. Browse the full Lamastus Family Estates collection, or pick from the lineup below:
Elida Estate Catuai Washed — 340g — $39
Washed processing strips the fruit completely off the bean before drying, producing the cleanest, brightest expression of the coffee. Expect clarity, structure, and a sparkling finish. The technical purist's choice — and the one that lets the Elida Estate terroir speak loudest.
→ Buy Elida Estate Catuai Washed (340g)
Elida Estate Catuai Honey — 340g — $39
Honey processing leaves the sticky fruit mucilage on the bean during drying, adding sweetness and silky body without going full natural. The middle ground — and arguably the most balanced. Expect honey, caramel, stone fruit, and a creamy mouthfeel that lingers.
→ Buy Elida Estate Catuai Honey (340g)
Elida Estate Catuai Natural — 340g — $39
Natural (or "dry") processing dries the whole cherry intact with the bean inside. The result is fruit-forward, full-bodied, and bold — think red berries, dark chocolate, and a wine-like depth. The most expressive of the three, and a coffee lover's favorite.
→ Buy Elida Estate Catuai Natural (340g)
Which Elida Estate Catuai Should You Buy First?
Three coffees from the same farm and same varietal, processed three different ways. That's an unusual opportunity — most farms only sell one or two processing styles. Here's how to choose:
If you're new to specialty coffee:
Start with the Elida Estate Catuai Honey. It's the most balanced and approachable, with enough sweetness to win over palates accustomed to commercial coffee and enough nuance to introduce you to the Lamastus style.
If you love bright, clean, technical coffee:
Go straight to the Elida Estate Catuai Washed. This is the pour-over geek's pick — maximum clarity, maximum origin character.
If you want a fruit bomb that drinks like dessert:
The Elida Estate Catuai Natural is for you. Full-bodied, wine-like, and a fantastic introduction to natural-process coffee.
If you're a coffee nerd and want to do a side-by-side tasting:
Buy all three. Total: $117. That comfortably clears the $70 free shipping threshold and gives you the rarest single-farm processing flight in specialty coffee — same Catuai, same harvest, three different stories in the cup. There's no better way to actually understand what processing does to coffee.
How to Brew Elida Estate Catuai at Home
Catuai is more forgiving than Geisha but still rewards good technique. A few rules of thumb:
- Buy whole bean and grind fresh. Pre-ground coffee loses its aromatic compounds within minutes. A burr grinder like the Baratza Encore is the minimum equipment for specialty coffee at home.
- Pour-over for clarity, French press for body. The Washed shines in a V60 or Chemex. The Natural is gorgeous in a French press where its body and fruit can fully express. The Honey is happy in either.
- Water matters. Use clean, filtered water at 200°F (93°C). Chlorinated tap water will mask the Elida Estate terroir you paid to taste.
- Try black first. Always taste a new specialty coffee black on day one. You can add milk on day two if you want — but don't bury the cup before you've actually met it.
For deeper guidance, read our complete guide to specialty coffee and our guide to buying Panama coffee online.
Frequently Asked Questions About Elida Estate & Lamastus Family Estates Coffee
Is Lamastus Family Estates coffee a specialty coffee?
Yes. All Lamastus Family Estates coffee is specialty-grade Arabica grown at high elevation in Boquete, Panama, on farms operated by the same family since 1918. The estate holds the world record for the highest price ever paid for coffee at auction ($13,286 per kilogram in 2022) and has won the Best of Panama competition seven times.
Where is Elida Estate coffee grown?
On three estates in the Boquete region of Chiriquí, Panama: Elida Estate (1,700–2,500 m elevation, the highest coffee farm in Panama), El Burro Estate (1,575–2,000 m), and Luito Geisha Estate. More than half of Elida Estate sits inside Volcán Barú National Park, a protected World Heritage Site.
What does Elida Estate Catuai taste like?
It depends on the processing style. The Washed is clean and bright with citrus, structured acidity, and a sparkling finish. The Honey is sweet and silky with honey, caramel, and stone fruit notes. The Natural is fruit-forward and full-bodied with red berries, dark chocolate, and a wine-like depth. All three share the same high-altitude clarity and clean finish that come from Lamastus farm management.
Why is Elida Estate coffee so expensive at auction but affordable here?
The record-breaking prices are paid for limited Geisha auction lots — micro-lots of a rare varietal that take years to grow and yield very little coffee per tree. The Elida Estate Catuai we sell is a different varietal from the same farms: it produces more coffee per tree, uses the traditional Latin American Arabica trees that grow well at high elevation, and isn't sold through a competitive auction. You get the same family, the same farm, the same processing standards — at everyday specialty coffee pricing.
Can I buy Elida Estate coffee online?
Yes. Boquete Coffee Traders ships Elida Estate Catuai by the Lamastus family worldwide via DHL and FedEx, direct from Panama. Orders typically arrive in 5 business days. Free shipping on orders over $70.
What is the difference between Catuai Washed, Honey, and Natural?
They are three different processing methods applied to the same Catuai cherries. Washed removes all fruit before drying, yielding a clean, bright cup. Honey leaves the sticky mucilage on during drying, adding sweetness and body. Natural dries the whole cherry intact, producing the most fruit-forward and full-bodied cup. Same beans, three completely different drinking experiences.
A century of farming. Seven Best of Panama titles. The world record for the highest price ever paid for coffee. The first 98-point coffee in CoffeeReview.com history. These aren't claims you make lightly — and the Lamastus family has earned every one of them.
You don't need to spend $1,000 to taste what that obsession produces. You need $39 and 5 business days.
→ Shop the full Lamastus Family Estates collection
→ Free shipping on orders over $70 — worldwide, from Panama, in 5 business days
Questions about Elida Estate coffee or which processing style to start with? Reach out — I answer every email personally.
— Juan Carlos Sosa, Boquete Coffee Traders