LIMITED | PANAMA | Altieri Coffee - Dilgo | Geisha | Natural | 2026

Description

Eugene "Don Gene" Altieri, an Italian New Yorker, bought two farms in Boquete more than 20 years ago without knowing their potential for specialty coffee. He had no background in coffee, but he had a keen business mind and saw the potential for a thriving family business. The family's two farms, Mima and Pipim, sit in Alto Quiel and Alto Lino, planted with Geisha, Typica, Catuai, and Caturra.

Altieri's Geisha has an impressive lineage. Don Gene bought his seeds from the Peterson family of Hacienda La Esmeralda, who reintroduced Geisha to the world when they won the Best of Panama in 2004. Today the business is run by his children, including Anna Lynn and Francisco, alongside farm manager Roger Pitti, with a sharp focus on refining their processing. Under their care, the family took first place in the Varietals category of the 2026 Best of Panama with Mima's Gold, a one-of-a-kind variety that grew from a single plant they found on Mima Estate in 2019.

The farms are divided into 11 plots, each named after the nickname of one of Eugene's grandchildren. Dilgo is named for Diego, Anna Lynn's son, and is home to the farm's oldest Geisha trees, planted in 2007. It's a single hectare of Green Tip Geisha in the foothills of Volcán Barú, bordering the national park, where the coffee grows under 70% shade among guabo, bamboo, ceniza, and cedar trees.

This lot was picked on March 4, 2026, and taken to the family's Alto Lino facility the next morning. After flotation to remove low-density cherries, it spent four days on raised beds in a drying greenhouse, then two days sealed in GrainPro bags to complete its fermentation. Drying finished slowly over 35 days in a climate-controlled room held at 18°C and 50% humidity. The result pairs the classic florals of Panamanian Geisha with deep, layered fruit.

How to Drink: Just like you wouldn't add soda to your best whiskey, this amazing coffee is meant to be drank black with no sugar or cream.

Text from Proud Mary Coffee's listing.