Elida Estate Geisha Natural ASD - 120g — Lamastus Family

Elida Estate Geisha Natural ASD is the most extreme expression of one of the most decorated coffees on Earth — an anaerobic slow-dry Panama Geisha grown by the Lamastus Family on Elida Estate, the highest coffee farm in Panama. Elida Estate Geisha has sold for as much as $13,518 per kilogram at private auction, the highest price ever recorded for coffee, and earned a near-perfect 98 points on CoffeeReview.com — the first time that score had ever been awarded. This 120g lot brings that legendary terroir within reach, in its wildest, most concentrated form.

What Is the ASD (Anaerobic Slow Dry) Process?

ASD stands for Anaerobic Slow Dry — a processing method the Lamastus Family pioneered at Elida Estate, borrowing fermentation science from winemaking. It is not a marketing label. It is two deliberate, difficult steps stacked on top of each other.

Step one — anaerobic fermentation. The freshly picked cherries are sealed inside airtight stainless-steel tanks fitted with one-way valves that let carbon dioxide escape but never let oxygen back in. Without oxygen, the yeasts and bacteria that normally drive fermentation are shut out, and a much narrower, more selective microbial population takes over. That controlled environment develops aromatic compounds a conventional open-air ferment simply cannot produce. Depending on the lot, the cherries stay sealed for roughly five to seven days — where a standard natural gets a fraction of that.

Step two — the slow dry. A conventional natural coffee dries in 10 to 15 days. An ASD lot is laid in a thick bed on raised beds and dried gently for up to five weeks — 40 days or more. Drying that slowly, at low temperature, lets the sugars and aromatics from the fruit keep migrating into the seed instead of being locked off early by fast heat. It is far riskier than it sounds: every extra day on the bed is another day the lot can be lost to over-fermentation or rain.

The payoff is a cup with the fruit intensity turned all the way up — candied, syrupy, and layered — while staying clean and defined rather than boozy or muddled. It is the reason Elida's ASD lots have rewritten Best of Panama records and auction prices alike.

An ASD Geisha From Panama's Most Awarded Estate

Grown between 1,700 and 1,950 meters above sea level in Alto Quiel, Boquete, Elida Estate sits partially inside the Volcán Barú National Park — a protected cloud-forest reserve where more than half the farm is preserved as virgin rainforest. The cool, misty, high-altitude microclimate slows cherry maturation dramatically, concentrating the sugars and aromatic compounds that make this Geisha extraordinary — and giving the ASD process the raw material it needs.

Tasting Notes

Expect an explosion of tropical fruit over a deep floral bouquet: papaya, pineapple, guava, and ripe mango, with candied cherry and black raspberry, vanilla sweetness, and a whisper of milk chocolate underneath. Powerful yet clean and refined, with a syrupy body and an exceptionally long, perfumed finish.

• Tasting notes: Papaya, pineapple, guava, candied cherry, vanilla, jasmine
• Region: Alto Quiel, Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama
• Altitude: 1,700–1,950 m.a.s.l.
• Varietal: Geisha (Arabica)
• Process: Natural ASD — anaerobic fermentation, then slow-dried up to 5 weeks
• Roast: Medium | Format: Whole bean
• Weight: 120g

The Lamastus Family Legacy

The Lamastus Family has grown coffee in Boquete since 1918, now in its fourth generation. They are the most decorated producers in Best of Panama history — seven-time first-place winners and four-time Panama Cup champions, recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama as the country's most consistent producer. Elida Estate Geisha has been featured in Robb Report, Bloomberg, BBC, CNN, and Forbes as one of the world's most prestigious coffees.

How to Brew Elida Geisha Natural ASD

To honor a coffee this rare, brew it black as pour-over. Use filtered water at 200°F (93°C), a medium-fine grind, and a 1:16 ratio (e.g., 15g coffee to 240g water) in a V60 or Chemex. Skip milk — the fruit intensity and floral clarity are the whole point. Give the beans a few days of rest after roasting, and grind fresh immediately before brewing.

Delivered Worldwide From Panama

Roasted and packed at origin in Panama for peak freshness, and delivered to your door worldwide via FedEx or DHL in 5 days. Free shipping on orders over $70. Prefer a cleaner, more classic profile? Try the Elida Estate Geisha Washed 120g or the Elida Estate Geisha Natural 120g, or explore the full Lamastus Family Estates collection.

Curious how processing shapes the cup? Learn how washed, natural, and honey processing change the flavor of Panama coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ASD mean in coffee?
ASD stands for Anaerobic Slow Dry. The cherries ferment in sealed, oxygen-free tanks for several days, then dry slowly on raised beds for up to five weeks instead of the usual 10 to 15 days.

How is Natural ASD different from a regular natural?
A regular natural simply dries in the whole cherry. ASD adds a sealed anaerobic fermentation first and then triples the drying time, producing a far more concentrated, candied, tropical cup while keeping it clean and defined.

What does Elida Estate Geisha Natural ASD taste like?
Intense tropical fruit and florals — papaya, pineapple, guava, candied cherry, and vanilla over jasmine, with a syrupy body and a very long, perfumed finish.

Why is Elida Estate Geisha so famous?
It's grown on Panama's highest coffee farm by the most awarded family in Best of Panama history, and Elida Geisha holds the record for the highest auction price ever paid for coffee ($13,518/kg) and a first-ever 98-point CoffeeReview score.

How should I brew it?
Pour-over (V60 or Chemex), water at 200°F, medium-fine grind, brewed black to experience the full fruit and floral complexity.

How long does delivery take?
Delivered worldwide from Panama in 5 days via FedEx or DHL. Free shipping over $70.