Not long ago, I shared with you a sun-dried Geisha from the Hummingbird lot at Finca Sophia in Panama. Established in 2008, Finca Sophia sits high in the Panamanian highlands, at elevations ranging from 1,900 to 2,124 meters—making it one of the highest coffee farms in the country. The farm gained global recognition after winning first place in the washed Geisha category at the Best of Panama (BOP) competitions in both 2017 and 2020, also setting record-breaking auction prices. Since then, Finca Sophia has steadily entered the spotlight.
Today, we’re shifting our focus to another plot within the farm—Poro, also known as the “Sacred Wood” lot. Compared to the Hummingbird lot, this area sits even higher, between 2,026 and 2,094 meters. Personally, I consider anything above 2,000 meters to be truly ultra-high altitude for coffee cultivation. It’s almost hard to imagine just how sweet a coffee grown at this elevation can be—honestly, it feels a bit unreal.
The previous natural-processed coffee already captivated me with its intoxicating dry aroma right after grinding. But this washed Geisha takes things in a different direction—it delivers a sweetness and clarity that go beyond what you’d typically expect from a washed coffee. Across both tastings, one thing became very clear to me: although Finca Sophia isn’t a large estate, each micro-lot expresses a remarkably distinct terroir. It’s a place with immense flavor potential and flexibility. There’s something genuinely exciting about tasting the diversity that the land itself can produce—I’ve felt that sense of discovery in every brew.
Most of what I’ve shared about Finca Sophia in the past has focused on terroir and processing methods. But lately, I’ve found myself a bit obsessed with this farm, so I started exploring it from a more emotional and human perspective. And what I discovered is that Finca Sophia is also a place filled with love and a sense of romance.
The name “Sophia” comes from the Greek goddess of wisdom, and the farm’s logo is inspired by a highland dove that inhabits the estate—known in Spanish as Torcaza. If you browse their official website, you’ll notice the logo carries a subtle sense of sacredness. At times, it almost feels like Finca Sophia is an “experimental farm” created to push the limits of what’s possible.
Interestingly, the land where Finca Sophia now stands was once heavily degraded due to early development and intensive agriculture. When Willem Boot purchased the land in 2008, many coffee growers advised him to give up, warning that growing coffee here would be extremely difficult. But his vision was clear: he wanted to explore the upper limits of altitude for cultivating world-class coffee.
In 2009, he planted 15,000 Geisha seedlings at an altitude of 2,150 meters—the highest point on the farm. Unfortunately, they were all wiped out by fungal disease and strong mountain winds. Undeterred, the team regrouped in 2011–2012, refining their cultivation techniques, selecting stronger, disease-resistant plants, and gradually rehabilitating sections of the land.
Willem summarized the spirit of Finca Sophia in three words: persistence, patience, and passion. He is often referred to as the “Godfather of Geisha.”
Alongside coffee cultivation, the farm has planted hundreds of native and climate-appropriate shade trees, restored 15 hectares of previously deforested land, and left 4 hectares adjacent to La Amistad National Park untouched to preserve the original forest. Today, birds have returned, and the farm serves as an ecological buffer zone between the national park and agricultural land.
Honestly, I sometimes feel that it’s because of these meaningful and responsible efforts that nature has rewarded them in return—allowing us to experience such extraordinary coffee today.
While reading through some of Finca Sophia’s past competition stories, one moment stood out to me. During the 2017 judging, an experienced American judge questioned whether a coffee scoring above 93 points could truly be washed, given its complexity and balance of sweetness and acidity—it simply didn’t “taste like a washed coffee.” Yet the final reveal confirmed that it was indeed a fully washed Geisha, with all its remarkable flavors coming purely from the coffee itself.
That story resonated deeply with what I experienced in this cup.
The dry aroma after grinding bursts with vibrant red fruit notes, layered with hints of sweet apricot, dried plum, and preserved plum. This level of intensity and complexity is extremely rare in washed coffees—it goes far beyond expectations.
Once brewed, the wet aroma reveals clear notes of bergamot, delivering a bright citrus profile. On the palate, it transitions from sweet orange to blood orange—a fascinating and somewhat uncommon flavor progression. In the mid-to-late stages, subtle pomelo notes emerge, accompanied by a delicate tea-like bitterness. The cup remains exceptionally clean, with strong layering and a satisfying body.
That final combination of refreshing pomelo and tea-like bitterness gives the entire flavor journey a narrative quality—it feels almost like a story unfolding in the cup.
Overall, I think the terroir of the Poro lot expresses itself through several key advantages. The mineral-rich volcanic soils surrounding Barú Volcano contribute to the coffee’s bright citrus acidity and floral character. The slow maturation at high altitude allows for greater sugar development and more complex acidity—forming the foundation for that beautiful transition from sweet orange to blood orange. Meanwhile, the clean washed process allows the terroir to shine through in its purest form, resulting in a cup that is clean, layered, and still full-bodied.
Whether it’s the Hummingbird lot or the Poro lot, each micro-batch from Finca Sophia feels like a reflection of the farm’s core spirit—persistence, patience, and passion. And every time we brew and taste these coffees, it feels like a quiet tribute to the land itself.