Lot GNEP-13: LONGBOARD WINDY RIDGE GN

LONGBOARD SPECIALTY COFFEE“
Superior Expression of Varietal and Terroir” Best Of Panama 2019

GROWER PROFILE

LONGBOARD SPECIALTY COFFEE

Farm Name: Windy Ridge
Lot Name: Longboard Windy Ridge Geisha Natural
Varietal: Geisha
Vintage: February, 2019
Process: Classic Natural
Elevation: 1550 mt
Slope Direction: West
Drying Method: Sun dried, African beds
Humidity: 9.9%
Producer: Justin Boudeman
Email: producer@longboardcoffees.com
Website: www.longboardcoffees.com

Description:

Geisha coffee is our passion! We are a micro-producer of luxury coffee with three small farms in Boquete, Panama.  We are dedicated to providing the finest in hand made artisan coffee to the discerning palates of coffee aficionados around the world.  We have developed a unique approach to growing and processing coffee, with a focus on producing the finest possible cup while employing a hands-on, un-mechanized, chemical free process.  With the same passion as the great wine producers of Bordeaux, Burgundy and beyond, it is our ultimate goal to produce a 100 point coffee.

The magical relationship between the Geisha varietal, the terroir and microclimate of our beautiful Boquete farms comes to a full, crisp and vibrant expression in this coffee. Our goal was to release the most complete character of this relationship, without dominating or distracting the palate with attributes of process. We wanted the process to be practically invisible, and therefore employed our “classic natural” process to this particular coffee.

*A note on this years BOP: A few weeks before the deadline for entering coffees, it was announced that special process coffees were to be added to the Natural category. After much controversy and confusion on the cupping tables, 17 of the 21 International Judges voiced their concern that the sacred Natural category be left alone and that “special process” be added as a new category in upcoming years. We fully embrace that decision. Whereas the demand for special process coffees was recognized and appreciated (as do we) and deserving of its own category, the overwhelming response from the judges was summed up by the following: “…we come to Panama to taste the worlds best geisha flavor and that of the unique terroir, not the flavor of process.” *

For those of you wishing to add to your collection the clearest (and in our opinion the finest) representation of this magical relationship- free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and without overpowering notes of process- allowing the wonderful attributes of varietal and terroir to shine through the cup, we made this coffee for you. This very special coffee is also easy to drink- so clean and pure it leaves the connoisseur wanting another cup!

Longboard Farms

Embracing the principles of permaculture and biodynamics, we view our farms as integrated, whole, living organisms.  This organism consists of crops, soil, forest, water, animals, compost, and people as well as the spirit of the place.  We view each farm as a canvas from God, and it is our job to paint the masterpiece.  Each farm has its own unique personality.

If Misty Mountain is young and wild, Windy Ridge is mature and refined, wise yet
exotic.  The plantation has rooted deeply and is allowed to reach its desired height- often over 5 meters- and the perfectly ripe cherries are delicately harvested by ladder in the traditional style.  A farm of spectacular natural beauty, facing the Baru Volcano in the center of the prized Alto Jaramillo region, the exposed westerly orientation is bathed in afternoon sun, injecting an uncommon sweetness into the cherry.  The result is a cup loaded with tropical fruits, bursting with berries and nose-fulls of florals, nuanced with a crisp minerality and enriched by a depth and complexity that only comes with age.  After being rewarded with a 9 th Place finish in the Geisha Natural category at the 2018 Best of Panama, the coffee went on to fetch $216/lb, the 3 rd highest price of the entire auction. 
With roots set deep into the mineral rich volcanic terroir, Windy Ridge is a plantation in its prime.

This year, with an overall average score of 91.29, several judges scored the coffee 93 points or above, including a 93 from Vincent Wang of Black Gold Coffee, a 93.5 from Ishihara Shuntaro, and a 93.75 from head judge Will Young. This elegant and complex coffee is clean and balanced, very floral, sweet and juicy, exhibiting notes of jasmine, peach, strawberry and blueberry, with hints of lemon zest and pink candy. A clean, crisp finish leaves you wanting another cup! The beauty of Boquete is revealed in every sip.

We invite you to enjoy this elegant coffee, and thank you for your support that allows us to continue our passion!

Lastly, in case some of you are wondering where our Misty Mountain is this year, the prime harvest was entirely sold out well before the BOP. Next year we hope to boost production to be able to satisfy our clients demand as well as enter a prime lot in the BOP!