When “Panama Carmen Estate” comes up, you already know this is another release from Jianjia Specialty Coffee Studio. And sure enough, their new-crop Carmen Estate beans have just come out of the roaster. Back in the 2024 harvest, I was deeply impressed by the magnolia-like elegance of their Mu Yun He Bi Washed Geisha. This new crop, however, brings a noticeably different flavor experience. Today, I want to share this tasting and talk about what’s changed with the new Carmen harvest.
This custom lot from Jianjia Specialty Coffee Studio is entirely processed using a temperature-controlled anaerobic dark-room washed method. Let’s briefly break down how this processing works.
The “dark room” refers to a fully enclosed space where temperature and humidity are strictly controlled—typically low temperature, low humidity—and completely isolated from natural light. During the dark-room drying stage, after the coffee cherries are depulped, the beans are left with their mucilage intact and placed in sealed dark rooms to ferment and dry. This process allows precise control over microbial activity, reduces flavor degradation caused by light oxidation, makes fermentation more predictable, lowers the risk of mold, and preserves a higher level of clean sweetness.
The washing stage may incorporate either anaerobic or aerobic fermentation depending on the specific protocol, resulting in different flavor expressions. After washing removes residual mucilage and impurities, the cup clarity is further enhanced. Coffees processed this way often present a profile that is both clean and intense—combining the bright acidity of washed coffees with the complexity often found in naturals. Tropical fruit notes, floral aromatics, and pronounced sweetness are common, with a clean yet layered mouthfeel.
This custom program from Jianjia includes 16 individual Geisha profiles, released across two batches. To make things even more interesting, they’ve introduced the MBTI 16 personality types as a playful, anthropomorphic way to label each lot—allowing you to “unlock” a batch that matches your personality type.
Each batch includes four different fermentation environments:
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E / I represent honey process vs. washed
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N / S indicate harvest batches (combined with F / T to mark fermentation details)
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F / T denote fermentation styles
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P / J refer to the temperature-control approach used during processing
For example:
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NFP and INFP come from the same fermentation tank but undergo dark-room drying in different post-fermentation states.
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ENFP and ESFP are both honey-processed after fermentation, sharing similar fermentation environments and temperature-control tendencies, though with different data points—ENFP from the first harvest batch, ESFP from the second.
Based on this framework, it’s easy to see that all 16 custom Geisha profiles differ in fermentation type, temperature-control strategy, and directional fermentation design.
The coffee cherries used for the Jianjia × Carmen custom Geisha lots all come from a designated micro-region. The high altitude, dramatic day-night temperature swings, and misty climate give the coffee a distinctive sense of terroir. A directional yeast, dual-temperature fermentation combined with slow dark-room drying and washed processing—custom-designed by Jiuyu—produces a wide range of acids, alcohols, and esters during fermentation. The result is a cup that paints a vivid floral landscape layered on top of its terroir foundation.
Roasting takes place at Ayding Lake, 154 meters below sea level. The negative elevation brings higher atmospheric pressure, a higher boiling point, and denser air, allowing the Ikawa hot-air roasting system to express flavors with exceptional clarity.
Each tube is individually vacuum-sealed, containing 16.5 grams of coffee—just enough extra beans to purge the grinder. That leaves roughly 16 grams per brew. I used an EK43s set to grind size 10, paired with a three-hole Kalita Wave dripper and HIFLUX Korean Lyocell cotton fiber filter paper (fast flow).
The dry aroma after grinding is explosively sweet—almost shockingly so. I immediately picked up notes reminiscent of orange soda, accompanied by white floral aromas similar to magnolia or gardenia. This floral note plays a crucial role: it stands out clearly in the dry fragrance yet feels refined and airy rather than overpowering.
My brew followed a four-pour structure, 60 grams per pour. The first pour included a 25-second bloom. Total brew time was 1 minute 45 seconds, with 240 grams of water poured and 200 grams of final yield—roughly a 1:13 brew ratio.
One defining characteristic of this coffee is its exceptionally high sweetness. This sweetness feels intrinsic to the bean itself—more like the natural sweetness of fresh coffee cherry mucilage once the skin is peeled away, rather than something created during roasting. Think honey-like sweetness, layered with a citrus hard-candy acidity. Within that sweetness, there’s a rounded, tea-like smoothness and depth.
What makes the body particularly special is that it doesn’t feel like a thin, fruit-forward sweetness. Instead, it carries a white tea character, adding structure and elegance. Being able to clearly pinpoint that white tea sensation feels genuinely rare.
In their official cupping notes, the producer describes the flavor as “white fruits,” similar to cherimoya or mangosteen. Personally, I find those fruits quite delicate in flavor, but what they share—and what aligns perfectly with my own experience—is an intense, concentrated sweetness.
This sweetness is not caramelized, nor is it a simple lingering aftertaste. It’s a very concrete, forward-facing sweetness, accompanied by complex floral and fruit aromatics. The sense of refinement comes from how flavor and mouthfeel support each other, leaving you wanting another sip—an experience that feels graceful, lingering, and deeply satisfying.
