Panama Vnu Estate Pressure Anaerobic Fermentation Process Geisha Coffee Beans Brewing Parameters Flavor Description

FrontStreet Coffee: Panama Nuguo Estate · Geisha Coffee Beans

Origin: Panama, Volcan
Estate: Finca Nuguo
Altitude: 1700m-1900m
Variety: Geisha
Processing Method: Pressure Anaerobic Fermentation
Harvest Season: 2021

Coffee Growing Region

When discussing Panama's coffee traditions, most people are familiar with specialty coffee from the Boquete region. However, in recent years, coffee from the Volcan region has gradually gained prominence in the specialty market, with many estates entering the Best of Panama competition and even winning championships. The Volcan region receives less annual rainfall than Boquete and is situated on the western side of Barú Volcano. These geographical conditions give Volcan's coffee beans more intense dried fruit flavors, sweetness, and aroma compared to those from Boquete.

Nuguo Estate

Finca Nuguo is located in Alto Jurutungo (meaning "remote and inaccessible place") in Panama's Volcan region, adjacent to La Amistad National Park. Due to its excellent natural environment, the estate hosts a variety of birds, which led the Gallardo family to name it "Nuguo" (meaning "hummingbird" in Spanish).

The owner of Nuguo Estate, Jose Gallardo, comes from the Gallardo Family and holds a PhD in Civil Engineering. His primary profession is teaching at a university, where he continues to work today. His choice to operate a farm and grow coffee stems not only from inheriting the family business but also from his personal interest. Besides Nuguo, the Gallardo family owns several other coffee estates, including Finca Jurutungo, La Santa, Zambrano, and Santa Clara. Nuguo, which FrontStreet Coffee discusses today, is the Geisha estate that he manages together with his wife.

As one of the Gallardo Family's most treasured micro Geisha estates, Nuguo may have limited annual production, but its coffee flavor is anything but limited. The estate's average altitude ranges from 1700-1900 meters, bringing diverse microclimates, abundant rainfall, and significant temperature variations. The nutrient-rich volcanic soil and excellent shade from the primitive forest allow Geisha coffee to accumulate rich essence and fragrant flavors here.

Geisha Coffee Variety

Geisha coffee first gained worldwide fame at the 2004 Best of Panama (BOP) green bean competition, when Hacienda La Esmeralda won the championship with an "unfamiliar" coffee bean - Geisha coffee. With its fragrant white floral aroma, refined and elegant citrus acidity, and sweet honey notes, Geisha inspired all specialty coffee-producing countries to want to cultivate it.

According to years of research by coffee botanists, Panama's Geisha was discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia, then sent to the Kenyan Coffee Research Laboratory, and later traveled through Tanzania and Costa Rica before being introduced to Panama in 1970. It was initially used by Hacienda La Esmeralda as a windbreak for their borders. The estate owner later discovered that this border coffee tree produced excellent cupping scores, so they began separating and breeding the variety. Finally, it became world-famous in 2004, and until today, both the flavor and price of Geisha coffee remain remarkably beautiful.

Pressure Anaerobic Fermentation Processing

In 2018, Nuguo Estate began experimenting with pressure anaerobic fermentation processing. Due to the complexity of the process, after two years of continuous improvement and adjustment, they finally launched pressure anaerobic fermented Geisha coffee beans in 2020.

After harvesting, the estate owner carefully selects the fruits and places the ripe ones in vacuum-sealed bags for 4-9 days. During this period, the coffee cherries undergo anaerobic fermentation, and the carbon dioxide produced during the process causes the vacuum bags to expand.

After completing the fermentation stage, some of the coffee cherries are sent for temperature-controlled drying (45% humidity, 24°C temperature), with a drying period of 4-8 weeks. Another portion remains on the estate for sun-drying (average estate temperature 16°C), with a drying period of 21 days. Finally, the dried coffee beans undergo resting treatment, with dehulling occurring only 1-2 weeks before export.

FrontStreet Coffee's Roasting Suggestions

When FrontStreet Coffee received the green beans, they detected sweet and sour floral and fruit aromas with a hint of fresh grass scent. To express this bean's sweetness, acidity, and floral-fruity aroma, FrontStreet Coffee decided to use medium-light roasting, removing the beans at the peak of the first crack. Due to the high moisture content of new harvest green beans, it's necessary to extend the dehydration time between the temperature recovery point and the yellowing point, ensuring uniform heating of both the surface and core of these Geisha beans.

Cupping Flavor Description

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60#01
Water Temperature: 91°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine (78% passing through China standard #20 sieve)

Three-stage brewing method: First, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. Then, continue with a small water stream in a circular motion until reaching 125g, pausing when the water level is about to expose the coffee bed. Continue pouring until reaching 225g, then stop pouring. Remove the dripper when the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again (timing starts from the bloom). Total extraction time is 2'10".

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