Visit to Bambito Estate with Priscilla Amar de González.
The Setting
On our second and final day in the district of Tierras Altas we visited Bambito Estate, owned and managed by Priscilla Amar de González.
The farm sits in a striking landscape of steep hillsides facing east toward the slopes of Volcán Barú, where coffee trees grow under forest shade and alongside fruit trees — most notably tamarillo.
The terrain here is dramatic, with plots arranged along the hillsides and the nearby Chiriquí Viejo River flowing not far to the north, contributing to the lush environment that defines this part of the region.
It is a beautiful setting and one that immediately communicates the close relationship between coffee, forest and water in the landscape of Tierras Altas.
Cupping the 2025/2026 Harvest
During our visit we cupped a selection of both varietal lots and Geisha lots from the current harvest.
Among the coffees tasted, two stood out particularly this year:
- Yellow Catuai, showing a silky and creamy texture with notable complexity.
- Washed Geisha, presenting layered complexity across temperatures, with a particularly elegant balance between brightness and sweetness.
Joining the cupping session was Jose Manuel Garrido, a judge at the Best of Panama and owner of Mama Cata Estate.
During the tasting he shared insight into how fermentation can influence flavour preference, particularly when evaluating coffees within competitions and international markets. These exchanges between producers and cuppers often reveal how subtle fermentation choices can shape the final sensory profile in the cup.
Community and the Coffee Harvest
Beyond the coffees themselves, Priscilla shared an initiative that reflects the farm’s commitment to the community that supports the harvest each year.
During the picking season, Bambito Estate hosts classes for the children of coffee pickers, providing a place where they can continue learning during the months when families travel for seasonal work.
These classes take place directly on the farm and are coordinated with the local school in Nueva Suiza.
Outside of harvest season, Priscilla also contributes to the school’s children meal programme, helping ensure that students have access to daily meals throughout the school year.
Initiatives like these highlight how coffee farms often function not only as agricultural enterprises, but as important social anchors within rural communities.
Field Note
Spending time at Bambito Estate offered an opportunity to better understand the daily realities of managing a farm in a landscape as dynamic as Tierras Altas. Caring for coffee here means balancing several priorities at once — maintaining the natural environment, supporting the people who work on the land, and continuing to refine the quality of the coffees produced each harvest. It was a pleasure to spend the day with Priscilla and her son Iván, building a closer relationship and gaining further insight into the thoughtful stewardship behind the farm.