Introduction:In the 2026 Best of Panama Natural Geisha competition, the lot from the century-old Lérida Estate in Boquete claimed the championship with an astonishingly high score. This estate, founded by a Norwegian engineer and managed by the same family for over a hundred years, stands out among its competitors thanks to its deep-rooted heritage and innovative processing methods. This article takes you on a deep dive into Lérida’s historical legacy, unique terroir, and the story behind this champion coffee—offering inspiration for selecting and appreciating pour over beans for all hand drip enthusiasts.
In the 2026 Best of Panama Natural Geisha category, a century-old Panamanian estate claimed the top spot with an impressive score of 95.63. This estate is Finca Lérida, located in Boquete. A total of 102 competition lots were entered into this year’s event, rigorously evaluated by 46 professional judges, with the lead judge being Ellen Fan from China—she is also the first female chief judge in the over 30-year history of the BOP competition. Against such a high-caliber field, Lérida’s success is thanks to its truly unparalleled legacy built over a hundred years.
The story begins in 1924, when a Norwegian engineer named Tollef Bache Mönniche, who had retired from the Panama Canal project, and his wife Julia chose to settle in the Alto Quiel region of Boquete. They purchased land there and named it Lérida, inspired by a city in Spain. The engineer personally built their residence in the style of rural Norway and planted some of the very first coffee trees on the estate. Notably, as early as 1929, Lérida achieved a milestone by exporting Panamanian coffee to Germany for the first time—an event that can be considered, in a sense, the beginning of Panamanian coffee gaining recognition in Europe. Mönniche, with an engineering background, not only loved cultivation but also personally designed one of Panama’s earlier gravity-driven washed coffee processing facilities. He also invented a patented “siphon” sorting device used to precisely separate ripe and unripe coffee cherries. It is said that this equipment is still in operation on the estate today, and its sorting principle has influenced the processing techniques of many other coffee farms since.
Entering the 21st century, Lérida Estate underwent several changes of ownership until it was taken over around 2008 by the Amoruso family. It is now managed by Maria Antonela Amoruso, who was born in Boquete. She oversees a total of five farms, including the original Lérida Estate in Alto Quiel, as well as Michella and Flora in Volcancito, and Amelia and Esplenderosa in Jaramillo, with planting altitudes ranging from 1,500 meters up to 2,000 meters. Since taking over, she has placed special emphasis on team building—not only providing housing and meals for employees, but also supporting their children’s education—to create a stable and highly motivated work environment. Although Lérida has consistently ranked in the top ten of the BOP competition, it wasn’t until 2026 that it finally took home the Natural category championship, making this honor truly well-deserved.
The estate is located next to the Volcán Barú National Park, surrounded by cloud forest. It is recorded that over 500 species of birds have been observed in the area. The high altitude and persistent cloud cover result in a slower ripening process for the coffee cherries, leading to a more balanced acidity and sweetness—qualities that are the most precious gifts of high-altitude terroir. For hand drip coffee lovers, such flavor profiles often reveal rich layers and delicate aftertastes.
The 2026 Natural Geisha champion lot not only inherits the century-old terroir characteristics of the estate but also incorporates innovative thinking in contemporary processing methods. For coffee enthusiasts looking to explore Panamanian Geisha or discover the allure of high-altitude coffee, Lérida is definitely worth adding to your next cup selection list. Whether as a daily brew or for an in-depth study of flavor evolution, it promises a delightful experience.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
