This natural processed coffee was grown by Jose Porta, a young producer located in the Chiriquí region of Panama. His careful attention to detail during collection and his focus on agronomy paired with Creativa’s processing standards yields a fruit-forward coffee of extreme quality. With notes of berries and mango, this coffee strikes a balance between a bright acidity, sweetness, and fruitiness. We first visited the Creativa Coffee District project early in 2018, just as our friends were in the beginning stages of renovating the massive wet mill. Located just outside of Boqute, this mill was once the largest mill in the area, with massive capabilities to process coffee by the container load. During that visit, we cupped some early lots that they had processed on site, and immediately saw the direction the project would go in. In the seasons since, we’ve purchased these wild and dynamic coffees with special projects in mind. Over four years since our first visit, we flew down to see the progress of the mill renovation and to cup the fresh crop offers. This lot stood out on the table with it’s dynamic acidity and markedly wild cup character. With notes of wine and tropical fruits, this coffee is decidedly not for the washed coffee lovers. We honed in on this offer from Creativa, knowing that it reflects what they are doing at their mill in Boquete. Much like the Neighbors & Crops program at La Palma y El Tucan, the folks at Equation have been purchasing cherry from neighbors of this mill in Panama and processing them onsite. They also provide agronomical support as well as picking support throughout the harvest. The team at Equation has done significant writing on this project, as well as providing deep dives on the processing methods they’ve developed at Creativa Coffee District. Creativa Coffee District Jose Porta is a 39-year-old producer located in the Chiriquí region of Panama. He manages La Alquiria estate, alongside fifteen committed full time employees. With 2 years of experience in the coffee industry, he proudly oversees his estate and collaborates closely with a team of 15 individuals during harvest, ensuring impeccable collection processes and effective implementations on the farm. Spanning across 15 hectares of land, with 10 hectares allocated to coffee cultivation, over 30,000 trees flourish under his guidance. "LA ALQUERÍA" stands out for its diversity, harmoniously housing three coffee varieties: PACAMARA covers 50% of the plantation, with an average age of 3 years, CATUAl represents 25% with an average age of 2 years, and the energetic and youthful OBATA occupies the remaining 25%, averaging 11/2 years. His journey into the coffee world began two years ago as a personal initiative. Although he hasn't participated in local quality competitions, his dedication to continuous improvement is evident in his meticulous soil studies and leaf analysis, aiming to optimize Productivity. Like any entrepreneur, he's encountered challenges, particularly in marketing over the past two years due to low selling prices and high costs of protective inputs for crops. Despite these hurdles, his commitment to delivering high-quality coffee remains steadfast.