Jamison Savage, Saśa Šestić, and Elvin Siew

Jamison Savage is an American-born producer based in the Chiriquí highlands of Panama, best known for establishing Finca Deborah and the Savage Coffees brand. Located in the remote mountains of Volcán at altitudes exceeding 1,900 meters, Finca Deborah has become a benchmark for high-altitude, shade-grown Geisha production. Savage’s transition from a finance career in Florida to coffee farming has resulted in a farm that operates on solar power and emphasizes environmental stewardship, maintaining a habitat for local wildlife while producing some of the most sought-after coffee in the world.

The collaboration between Jamison Savage, Saša Šestić, and Elvin Siew represents a synergy between farm-level production and cutting-edge processing innovation. Saša Šestić, a former World Barista Champion and founder of Project Origin, is widely recognized for pioneering the use of carbonic maceration in coffee. Together with Elvin Siew, this trio has focused on 'terroir-based processing,' a philosophy that seeks to highlight the unique characteristics of a farm’s environment through precise, experimental fermentation protocols.

Iris Estate serves as a primary example of this partnership’s output. Situated on a dormant volcano at 1,800 to 2,300 meters, the farm features a unique topography that allows for distinct microclimates. The team utilizes advanced methods such as Carbonic Maceration (CM) and nitrogen-infused maceration to manipulate the flavor profiles of their Geisha harvests. These processes are designed to enhance the natural sweetness, floral aromatics, and structural clarity of the coffee, moving beyond traditional washed or natural methods.

Savage’s processing protocols, often developed in tandem with his partners, have set a new standard for competition-grade coffee. His methods, such as the 'Elipse' process—a hybrid technique involving nitrogen maceration followed by a washed finish—have been instrumental in securing top placements at the World Barista Championship. The consistency of these results has made Savage’s coffees a staple for national and world-level competitors, with numerous champions selecting his lots for their signature beverage routines.

Beyond competition, the work of Savage, Šestić, and Siew reflects a broader shift in the specialty coffee industry toward scientific rigor at the farm level. By controlling variables like fermentation time, temperature, and gas exposure, they are able to produce coffees with intense, specific flavor profiles—such as notes of jasmine, blood orange, and red apple—that are highly prized by roasters and consumers alike. This approach treats the processing stage as an extension of the farm’s terroir rather than a separate manufacturing step.

Today, the influence of this group extends across the global specialty market. Their work is frequently cited in the context of 'competition coffee,' where the demand for extreme quality and innovation is highest. By bridging the gap between the remote, high-altitude farms of Panama and the technical demands of the world stage, Jamison Savage and his collaborators continue to define the upper limits of what is possible in coffee cultivation and processing.