#12 Panama

Panama has and will always be one of my favorite coffees. The recent years Panama coffees has been “uplifted” as the well know Geisha has found its place in Baru/Volcan region. Most of the coffee are dominant with Grape/Citric or Bergamotte notes – very pleasent and mild in both taste and flavor. It's ideal as both espresso and drip coffee.

The farm of Eliceo Mendoza, better known as “Don Cheo”, is a property situated between 1600m and 1700m in attitude in Alto de Colorado, Volcån, Chiriqui. It was purchased by Eliceo Mendoza (senior) in 1973. At this time, the farm was just a mountain and it was only in 1980 that he began planting coffee plants on the farm. He named it “Finca Las 3 E” after the first names of all the family members beginning in E. Today Eliceo (Junior) oversees and manages the farm. Although in recent years /diseases have reduced the quantity of coffee produced, the farm has managed to maintain an excellent quality with an average production of 500 tonnes, and coffees constantly obtaining grades higher than 85/100. Eliceo produces Caturra and Catuai coffee varieties, by wet-processing.

Coffees from Latin America is usually very easy to handle. As they are grown at altitudes from 1400-1700m. The cellular structure is more uniform and makes it easier to calibrate when dailing in your espresso shot.  

At this altitude the cellular structure is uniform. And very little adjustments have to be made. The challenge often appears during the process method, whether is an anaerobe or natural coffee. And whether you want to highlight acidy or sweetness based on the process method. 

A washed coffee is usually more chocolaty which i will recommend extrating at 27-29 sec.

I usually extract between 25-27 sec but it also excellent when extrating at 27-29 sec. 

The dose is calculated using a 20g VST porta filter.

Min dose is 19g/ and Max dose 21 g. pr dobb espresso.    

This coffee is ideal to brew on Chemex, Hario, Stagg fellow and December dripper Brew/ratio mass depends on how you pour the water, the weight of your coffee and the length of your brew. I like to recommend that you try to use different pouring techniques. So you will find out what will suit you and the coffee you have in your hands.

Step 1

Prefinfusion = Using water to wet the coffee, so the particle can absorb water, giving access to flavour and aromas. As a rule when you use less coffee, less water is used to preinfusion. "just enough to cover the coffee in the filter".

Step 2

Blooming = this is where the coffee particles is expanding, as any cellular products, giving access to transform the coffee attributes in to flavours and aromas. As a genius = less coffee/shorter blooming time. More Coffee/longer blooming time = that make sense right? Ie. 33 g of coffee = 30 sec blooming time. 60 g of coffee = 50-60 sec blooming time.

Step 3

Building up your coffee in the filter = you coffee brewing times length and letting you coffee steep in the filter. Coffee needs to be handled firm and homogenises.

Ie. Dont let your coffee set/sit or "dry out in the filter" when you pour the water in your coffee filter. Vise versa, you have to be careful, that you don't pour too much water, so you create a "swimming pool" on top of the coffee in the filter. The coffee should have a smooth "run through" contact time with water. You can find inspiration on brew guides