It was almost like a love story, Justin fell in love with Geisha I fell in love with every aspect of it. He didn't know from previously that coffee could be so elegant, that the coffee could be so nuanced and appreciated to the level of fine wines. That's when it kind of all came together for him.
Justin is lucky enough to have received a slice of land in Panama. It is like a blank canvas and it's our job to create a painting and hopefully a masterpiece on that piece of property.
Justin's story in his own words
I first came to Panama after my university studies. I fell in love with surfing and when my son was born we came to the highlands of Boquete. It is just a magical place the and it's still so close to the surfing that I do every few days. In 2000, when we moved to Boquete, it was when the geisha was becoming discovered. It was really an interesting time and I was fortunate to play poker every week with my friends the Peterson family from Hacienda Esmeralda and through him we watched the Geisha become discovered and then how it did at the Best of Panama auction. Soon, Geisha broke the world's record by becoming the most expensive coffee. At the time, the Peterson family sold me my first farm in combination with me becoming more interested in coffee. I converted the farm to use organic farming practices. With time, I became more focused on coffee. Around 2015, I acquired the other farms at higher elevations and also in the prime Geisha region, namely Windy Ridge and Misty Mountain. From that point on it has been just our entire focus and passion. Geisha coffee is what we live and breathe and they are both unique entities and I look at them as living beings.
About the farms, Windy Ridge is west facing and sits at 1,550 meters above sea level. It is a little bit more exposed so that where the name came from. We have some nice wind there in the dry season it's a more mature plantation. The roots are deep and the the connection with the land is very profound the roots have gone deep and they're absorbing all of this beautiful minerals.
We created Misty Mountain from the forest. It was it was a labor of love and passion by finding the right balance between allowing enough light in to the farm. At the same time, also leaving plenty of space for the wildlife and such as the monkeys and the beautiful bird life. There is a lot of animal activity here.
Both farms are wonderful they're probably only less than five kilometers from each other. Still, it is just so much difference and diversity with different terroir, different orientations. Windy Ridge has more sun while Misty Mountain has more beautiful clouds. The clouds that come in almost every day and are just like blankets for the coffee. This mist contributes to create a very dense bean, very high in flavor and very large cherries. Windy Ridge produces smaller cherries and they absorbs beautiful sunlight during the afternoon sun. Looking right at the volcano which is our highest point in Panama.
Misty Mountain
Misty Mountain is true forest Geisha. It is young and wild, playful yet majestic. It is a mysterious and silent place on the edge of virgin forest, rough hewn from the wilderness. Its unique microclimate is sunny and breezy half the year and enshrouded in mist the other half. Isolated from other farms and accessed by four wheel drive via a kilometer long private drive that rises abruptly through lush cloud forest, just getting there is an adventure.
With the same passion as the founders of Boquete generations ago. Justin and his team built the farm from scratch, carefully clearing by hand leaving all large trees, finding the ideal mix of sun and shade and monkey bridges, planting a mix of green and bronze tip Geisha into the virgin soil. It is truly remarkable how content the Geisha is to be there- not necessarily the case with some of the other varietals. Occupying an elevation between 1,550 and 1,700 meters in the La India region of Boquete, a primarily south facing orientation allows for morning sun to filter through the forest while offering protection from the pummelling north wind of the dry season.
The Longboard Geisha has found a happy home at Misty Mountain. Carving this farm from the jungle has been a long and challenging process, and the efforts were rewarded the very first harvest with a 6th Place finish in the Geisha Natural category at the 2018 Best of Panama with an overall score of 92.25 points. The coffee went on to fetch 101 USD/lb (approximately 210 USD/kg) at the auction. The story of Longboard continues from there with the years that has passed.
GEOGRAPHY
Elevation: 1,500-1,700 masl
Area: 12 Hectares (currently 3-4 hectares planted, expanding by 2,000-3,000 plants per year).
Region: La India, Boquete
Varietals: Geisha, Pache, Pacamara.
Orientation: Primarily south facing, some west, with a combination of flat and gently sloping terrain.
