The Farmer
This farm is owned by Graciano Cruz is a pioneering speciality coffee farmer from Panama who has championed the coffee movement through eco-friendly processing methods. His world-famous honey and natural coffees undergo waterless processing and are sun-dried on African beds on his farm. To this day, he never stops experimenting with different processing methods to increase the complexity in his coffee.
The farm and it’s unique terroir
Boquete is a small valley in the Province of Chiriqui, Panama bordering Costa Rica. Boquete's unique microclimate, characterised by soft breezes and consistent light rain showers (known as "Bajareque" to the locals), is one of Boquete’s many unique characteristics that make coffee from these highlands so special.
The farm is located in the Volcancito area on the slopes of the Baru volcano at 1600 m.a.s.l., in Boquete Panama. Finca Emporium is an example of biodiversity. Together with perfectly healthy coffee trees of different varieties (Yellow and Red Catuai, Caturra, Pacamara, Typica). The best parts of the farm are reserved for the famous and exclusive Geisha variety. The coffee grows under a canopy of shade trees, mainly citrus: oragnges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits and tangerine.
Panama is a small coffee producing country and Boquete hosts an engaging community of coffee growers, where family-operated farms border each other. This close community of coffee farmers drives each family to innovate creative methods, spurring healthy competition between these farmers (of which many are also friends as they went to school together). The country host an annual competition called “Best of Panama” (or BoP for short). In this auction which has four categories: Geisha washed, Geisha natural, varietal washed and varietal natural. In this auction coffee’s are sold for over $1000,- a pound (unroasted). Emporio farm has been an auction participant and winner for several years in a row (2nd, 10th and 18th in 2021).
