Description
Panama La Berlina Estate
Region Horqueta, Boquete District
Chiriquí Province
Process Washed
Farm La Berlina Estate
Altitude 1500-2000 masl
Varietal Typica, Caturra & Catuaí
Farm Information
La Berlina Estate was founded in the early 1900s by Mr Segundo Diaz, a Colombian soldier who travelled to fight in Panama’s
separation from Gran Colombia.Having fallen in love with Boquete, Mr Diaz chose to stay on after independence was formed to start a family
near the village of Horqueta. There they discovered enough typica coffee trees growing wild in the mountainous jungle to establish a 30-hectare productive estate, a sign of the naturally blessed conditions for coffee cultivation. In time, the Diaz children were forced to sell and the farm lay dormant until Mr Plinio Ruiz, having heard of its great reputation from the 1920s and 30s, acquired the land at the end of last century to return La Berlina to its former glory. Geisha, Pacamara, Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuaí and Criollo were planted and the Ruiz family has experienced great success at international competitions with regular awards from Best of Panama juries.
Quality from the estate is upheld thanks to a dedicated team of life-long harvest workers, the majority of which are First Nations people, called Ngäbe. The Ruiz family are one of the
founding donors to the Ngäbere Literacy Program, which aims to preserve the indigenous culture by encouraging transliteration from spoken word into a written history and resource of their native tongue, as well as provide ongoing educational services. Stewardship for La Berlina has passed to General Manager Clemente Vega in recent years. Agronomist extraordinaire with a wealth of experience, he has overseen the production of this meticulously prepared, traditional washed lot from perfectly ripe cherries, hand-picked to perfection
