Panama Finca Lérida Catuai Review: A Non-Geisha Coffee That Delivers Exceptional Flavor

 This is the third time that Finca Lérida in Panama has appeared in my sharing. Aside from once writing a dedicated piece inspired by its history and story, my previous encounter was with their Black Honey Green Tip Geisha. It seems that whenever people mention renowned coffee estates in Panama, Geisha is the first thing that comes to mind.

But in reality, these estates cultivate a much wider range of varietals. The coffee I’m sharing today delivers a flavor profile that closely matches the official description—you can truly experience it in every cup.

I feel like this opens up a different perspective for coffee tasting: “non-Geisha coffees from top estates.” These coffees are quietly becoming a smart choice—the “best value kings,” so to speak. It also reflects an important idea: what truly sets these famous estates apart isn’t just the varietal, but their expertise in cultivation and processing.

These strengths can largely bridge the natural flavor differences between bean genetics. Even without being Geisha, the cup can still offer remarkable clarity and expression. Among non-premium Geishas, this feels like a kind of “optimal solution.”

Catuai is one of the most common varietals we encounter. It may not deliver the explosive florals and acidity of top-tier Geisha, but with its consistent quality, bright acidity, and pleasant sweetness, it has become a widely loved choice in everyday specialty coffee.

Think of Catuai as a “well-balanced citrus juice”—refreshing, slightly sweet, and incredibly versatile. It’s the all-rounder of the coffee world.

This particular coffee uses a washed process, enhanced with low-temperature, controlled-environment drying—a more refined and technical approach. In simple terms, it’s still a washed coffee, but after washing, the beans are dried in a cold room rather than under the sun or with high-temperature mechanical drying.

By carefully controlling temperature and humidity, the drying process becomes slower and more even, preserving the delicate nuances of the coffee to the greatest extent possible.

In recent years, I’ve noticed more and more estates adopting the concept of “low-temperature drying.” It represents a refined evolution of traditional processing methods and a pursuit of ultimate flavor clarity.

This approach maintains the clean profile typical of washed coffees while adding greater complexity through slow, controlled drying, resulting in a cup that is both layered and exceptionally clean.

After grinding the beans, my first impression was: there’s barely any chaff! The beans are processed incredibly cleanly. Typically, washed coffees actually retain more chaff than natural-processed ones, but this particular lot had almost none, which was a pleasant surprise. It really highlights the benefits of meticulous processing.

The dry aroma reveals white florals and citrus notes—overall sweet and inviting. Washed coffees tend to express a cleaner, more refined sweetness compared to naturals, and this one instantly elevates the sense of elegance.

The beans come in single-dose packaging, with each pack containing around 16 grams. I usually brew it using a three-pour method. Recently, I’ve been pairing a flat-bottom dripper with fast-flow Lyocell filter papers.

My brew ratio is about 1:15.4 (coffee to water), with a final yield ratio of around 1:13.2—this has always been a ratio range I personally enjoy.

In the cup, the overall profile is light, fresh, and elegant. The body is soft and easy to drink. Although a 1:13 yield ratio would typically suggest a heavier, more full-bodied cup, the actual mouthfeel doesn’t come across as heavy at all.

The flavor is driven by floral and fruity notes—white florals paired with a pronounced citrus character. Toward the finish, a gentle brown sugar sweetness emerges, reminiscent of sugarcane.

Colombian Washed Castillo SOE Review: A Super Clean Espresso from ARGCAFEE in Cauca

 Most of my long posts in February were dedicated to café hopping in Australia. During the month I spent there, I once again found myself marveling at the incredible richness—and rarity—of the green coffee resources available in Australia. If you are a coffee enthusiast who truly values the terroir and regional character of coffee, I strongly recommend putting Australia on your travel list.

Among the many cafés I visited, Veneziano Coffee left a particularly deep impression on me. They are the kind of roaster that seems to “hunt” for beans from highly specific micro-regions. In their shop, you’ll find several house espresso blends as well as multiple SOEs permanently on the menu, and each one has its own distinctive flavor profile and memorable character. It’s no surprise that they’ve been listed among the World’s Top 100 Coffee Shops.

At the time, I bought a bag of beans that could be used both for pour-over and as an SOE. The beans come from the ARGCAFEE cooperative in Cauca, Colombia, and they are a washed Castillo.

When people talk about “washed Colombian coffee,” they rarely emphasize the variety. Castillo—often translated simply as “Castillo” in Chinese—is a variety that doesn’t display extremely distinctive characteristics like Geisha or Caturra. Instead, its flavor expression relies heavily on the terroir and the processing method. Overall, Castillo is a highly expressive and versatile variety.

Take washed Castillo as an example: it typically presents clean and bright citrus notes, which is also the most classic processing style you’ll find for Castillo on the market today. This style highlights the variety’s acidity potential inherited from its Caturra lineage. Castillo is commonly grown in Colombia’s Cauca and Huila regions, and it frequently appears in espresso blends or SOEs, often displaying flavors such as chocolate, citrus fruits, and cane sugar sweetness.

Many people assume that Castillo is an average-quality variety, but that perception isn’t entirely fair. When grown at sufficiently high altitudes and processed properly, Castillo can reach the quality level of Caturra or Bourbon. In fact, under certain experimental processing methods, it can even deliver more striking sweetness and intensity than traditional varieties.

The SOE I’m sharing today is a great example. It comes from the ARGCAFEE cooperative, and their story deserves special attention. In today’s almost dreamlike Colombian coffee landscape—where hype and trends often dominate—ARGCAFEE feels like one of the few refreshing and genuine exceptions. Their story genuinely moved me.

ARGCAFEE is located in the Argelia region of Colombia, and the name itself is a combination of the two words. In 2014, 17 coffee farmers from the remote areas of Argelia in Cauca came together to form the cooperative. Their goal was simple: to find better markets and better prices for their high-quality coffee. In many ways, it was a classic case of farmers “banding together for warmth.”

Today, the cooperative has grown to more than 230 members, with about 150 farmers actively involved in coffee cultivation and production. In the video associated with the cooperative, the main speaker is the founder of ARGCAFEE, who recounts how the organization grew from a small grassroots initiative into the influential cooperative it is today.

Many cooperatives in coffee-producing regions carry a strong sense of social responsibility. Whether it’s fair trade initiatives or gender equality programs, these efforts represent real change happening at the origin. From community culture to management practices, these initiatives ultimately contribute to improving coffee quality as well. The goal is not only to allow more people to drink high-quality coffee, but also to help consumers better understand the land and communities behind it.

ARGCAFEE has implemented several significant initiatives and, in my opinion, stands out among many cooperatives. One of their most important projects is a coca crop substitution program, created in partnership with Café Imports and Banexport. In the past, some local farmers planted illegal coca crops in pursuit of higher profits. This program offers them a viable alternative by encouraging profitable coffee cultivation instead.

Through the program, the cooperative helps farmers access markets, provides agronomic support, ensures higher and more stable prices, and enables them to participate in legal trade channels. Ultimately, this initiative helps local communities reduce economic dependence on illegal crops.

In addition, ARGCAFEE launched a Women Coffee Producers Program. This program provides financial incentives for female coffee producers and promotes their role in the coffee industry by empowering women within the coffee supply chain. Gender inequality has historically been common in coffee-growing regions, which is why you’ll often see coffee lots labeled as being produced by women farmers.

These initiatives promote equal employment opportunities and recognition for women in agriculture. Currently, 78 female producers contribute through ARGCAFEE’s program, creating sustainable opportunities for women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry.

Now let’s talk about the coffee itself.

When you open the bag, you’ll immediately notice how plump and uniform the beans look. Honestly, they just look delicious. After grinding, the dry aroma reveals a very clear and vibrant citrus fragrance, giving off a light and refreshing vibe, along with a hint of milk chocolate.

The roast level is medium-light, which sometimes makes people worry that an SOE might lack crema. But in my extractions, the crema turned out to be both rich and aromatic. The wet aroma carried notes reminiscent of sweet orange soda and nutty chocolate.

The espresso shot itself opens with a lively balance of acidity and sweetness. The moment it touches your tongue, the bright acidity instantly lights up your taste buds—seriously refreshing. Then a caramel sweetness rises to soften the sharpness of the acidity, bringing the mid-palate into a balanced and gentle harmony.

The most impressive part is how clean it tastes no matter how you extract it. The roasting style and technique are truly outstanding, greatly increasing the margin for error during brewing—something I always appreciate in a coffee I love. In my tasting notes, I even highlighted it in colored pen with the words “super clean.” It really deserves that label.

For milk-based drinks, I tried making both a dirty coffee and a latte.

In the latte, I noticed a silky texture reminiscent of cream cake, incredibly smooth and well balanced, with a comforting and gentle character. The body is solid, and the sweetness is wonderfully pronounced.

In the dirty coffee, the flavor leaned more toward malt candy, still soft and smooth overall. Honestly, this is the kind of coffee that tastes great no matter how you brew it.

For black coffee, I made both a classic hot Americano and a Bumblebee—an Americano with orange juice. Ever since I visited Serbia, I’ve gotten used to calling orange Americano “Bumblebee,” which always makes me laugh.

Most espresso beans don’t deliver particularly stable flavor when diluted into an Americano, but this SOE feels like it can carry the whole performance on its own. The cup shows a very clean and refreshing profile with citrus and white tea notes, incredibly fresh and natural, almost resembling the clarity of a slightly “over-extracted” style that mimics pour-over texture.

Even when paired with orange juice in a Bumblebee, the coffee’s original flavor isn’t overshadowed. Instead, the two complement each other quite nicely. The beauty of this bean lies in its fruit-forward profile combined with clear flavor layering. In the latter half of the cup, notes of milk chocolate and nuts add depth and structure to the citrusy drink, making it feel richer and more complex.

It suddenly makes you realize how versatile this coffee really is.

To sum it up, this coffee fills nearly every category on my flavor radar chart: nuts, fruit, florals, and chocolate are all present. It feels like a harmonious dance between acidity and sweetness—first bright acidity, then rising sweetness, both moving in the same rhythm, creating impressive flavor tension.

And finally, it’s incredibly versatile. You can basically brew it with your eyes closed and it will still taste great.

Don’t ask—Australian roasters are absolutely worth exploring in depth. This kind of “bean-hunting” approach is both thrilling and deeply memorable.

Indonesian Coffee Review: A Clean, Comforting Cup from Father’s Coffee Roastery

 This was my first encounter with Father’s Coffee. Their full name is Father’s Coffee Roastery, a roasting brand founded in 2018 in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic.

They are a family-run business—but not in the traditional sense of just parents and children. Instead, they see “family” as a group of coffee lovers brought together by shared values. They place a strong emphasis on coffee quality and freshness, while also deeply caring about transparency in sourcing. Father’s Coffee actively shares the stories behind each coffee, striving to build long-term relationships with producers. This mutual trust allows them to better oversee the entire process—from harvest and processing to export.

Since 2023, they’ve also been involved in several projects that directly support coffee-growing regions. One such project funds a professionally equipped quality control lab in the beautiful Mount Elgon area of eastern Uganda. This initiative benefits not only the coffee producers themselves, but also farmers across the surrounding region. Sustainability, transparency, and honest work are clearly values that run through every aspect of their coffee operations.

Even in their brand story, you can feel a deep sense of warmth and familial connection. They believe that family is the source of all values and endless inspiration—and perhaps that’s the most touching form of teamwork there is.

The People Behind Father’s Coffee

Father’s Coffee was originally founded by a husband-and-wife team. The husband, Petr, is a former head barista at Berlin’s Five Elephant—a name I haven’t heard in a long time, which instantly brought back memories. One of these days, I really should revisit their beans.

In the early days of Father’s Coffee, Petr handled almost everything in the roastery himself. Today, he’s primarily responsible for green coffee sourcing, roast profile development, and quality control.

His wife, Marie, is the soul of Father’s Coffee. The brand name itself came from her inspiration. She mainly oversees social media communication, brand storytelling, and marketing copy.

Perhaps it’s because of this female perspective, but I consistently find a sense of warmth and sincerity in Father’s Coffee’s writing. That emotional tone naturally made me excited to try their beans. From the moment I placed my order to the day it arrived, I waited over two weeks—and my anticipation only grew stronger.

I deliberately chose a coffee from a relatively simple yet often overlooked origin and variety. I’ve tasted beans from this region before, and they left a deep impression on me. This time, I wanted something uncomplicated and grounded—a flavor that brings a sense of calm and reassurance to everyday life.

The Coffee: Indonesia Pegasing, Team Pegasing Station

This coffee comes from the Pegasing region of Indonesia, processed at the Team Pegasing station. It’s a natural (sun-dried) process coffee made from a blend of Tim Tim and Gayo 1 varieties.

The processing station sits at an altitude of 1,300–1,500 meters and is a family project led by Hendra and his father, Hamdan. They specialize in experimental coffee processing. Hendra purchased the farm in 2006, and since then they’ve built a small innovation hub, collaborating with over 70 local farmers and processing up to 40 tons of coffee each year.

This particular coffee uses the natural process—one of ten different processing methods employed at the station. Ripe coffee cherries are dried for 20–25 days on raised beds inside covered tents. Temperature is carefully monitored, and the cherries are regularly turned to ensure even drying. Once drying is complete, all defective or underripe cherries are meticulously hand-sorted so that only beans meeting the highest professional standards move forward.

About the Varieties: Tim Tim & Gayo 1

I’ve introduced Tim Tim before in previous tastings. It’s a hybrid variety discovered on the island of Timor in 1917, resulting from a cross between Arabica and Robusta. One of its most distinctive traits is its large, elongated bean shape—so large that even after roasting, it still stands out. Some people even call it “long-bean Mandheling.”

Thanks to its strong disease resistance, Tim Tim has become one of the most widely cultivated varieties and serves as a genetic foundation for many modern hybrids.

The second variety in this blend, Gayo 1, was officially recognized by Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2010 as a high-quality variety. It may share genetic roots with Tim Tim, making the two highly complementary. Together, they create a harmonious balance of chocolatey depth and fruity brightness.

Roast Level & Aromatics

When I first opened the bag, I was pleasantly surprised—the roast was noticeably light in color. Light-roasted Indonesian coffees are truly worth trying, and this one sits beautifully within a soft, approachable range.

As expected, the beans are impressively large—much bigger than most African coffees, even after roasting. Each bean is uniform and well-shaped, and visually, I find these large beans especially appealing.

Once ground, the dry aroma is quite distinctive. As a classic natural-process coffee, it carries a signature sweetness. I picked up notes of apple pie, Ceylon cinnamon, and smoked plum, layered with a hint of milk chocolate. There’s something undeniably cozy about it—almost winter-like.

Brewing Notes & Tasting Experience

For brewing this light-roasted, large-bean coffee, I recommend a 92°C (198°F) water temperature with a fine grind and fast drip method.

My recipe:

• Coffee: 15 g

• Water in: 251 g

• Final yield: 212 g

• Brew ratio: approx. 1:14

• Brew time: 1 minute 49 seconds

At this ratio range, you’ll get very consistent results. This coffee doesn’t try to impress you with flashy flavors. In fact, at higher temperatures, it may even seem a bit understated. But once it cools to a medium temperature—that’s when it truly shines.

The wet aroma reveals cooked apple notes. On the palate, the cup is exceptionally clean and refreshing. Gentle acidity gradually emerges, the body is smooth and round, and the acidity reminds me of plum jam with a touch of blackberry. The finish carries a pleasant tea-like quality.

Cold Brew Impression

I also tried this coffee as a cold brew:

• Coffee: 20 g

• Water: 335.5 g

• Brew time: ~6 hours (refrigerated)

• Final yield: 262.5 g

• Ratio: approx. 1:13

Compared to the hot pour-over, the cold brew is even cleaner and more refreshing. The fruit acidity becomes more prominent yet softer, while the body is lighter and juicier. No matter how you brew it, the core profile remains consistent—clean, crisp, and gently fruity.

This is a coffee that feels playful yet restrained. It may not shout for attention, but before you know it, your cup is empty. For me, it’s an excellent everyday coffee—comforting, reliable, and quietly satisfying.

A Cozy Coffee Moment at Dengdeng Café in Hangzhou | Slow Living & Specialty Coffee Vibes

 “The flicker of the traffic lights at the crossroads

feels like a message never delivered.
Watching neon, watching the crowd—
at this moment, every brake light
becomes a slow heartbeat.
And those who wait tap lightly with their toes,
guarding a small flame inside them
that never goes out…”

It’s been a long time since I last explored a café in the city. Thanks to a friend, the main purpose today was simply to catch up after not seeing each other for ages. So we headed to Dengdeng, located at 132 Zhongshan Middle Road, Hangzhou, to drink the coffee he made for me—a different kind of experience altogether.

In recent years, café-hopping has changed me the most. It feels as though my life has gradually woven itself together with these visits. The emotional projection isn’t just about caring more about the stories behind the owners—their struggles, joys, setbacks, and perseverance. It’s also because, as my life moves toward a slower pace, my state of mind pays more attention to the people who intersect with my time inside cafés. It’s impossible for me to stay fully rational, nor do I want to become a “judge” who loses the inherent warmth a café should offer.

So now, my café-sharing pieces often feel more like travel diaries or personal essays. I don’t know if people still enjoy this way of writing, but these are the reflections that come with this stage of life. Expressing my true emotions might itself be a kind of precious energy—and as for everything else… well, whatever.

Dengdeng—once you see it, once you see the name, you won’t forget it.
Right outside the entrance is an intersection, where traffic lights flicker softly in the drizzling night. We chatted from the afternoon until closing; the small gathering felt exceptionally cozy.

The shop is small, but the capacity—emotionally and spatially—feels big. The open entrance invites you to walk in, take a seat, and start drinking immediately. It’s full of freedom and ease.

To make seating comfortable for everyone, they sacrificed some ergonomic height for the barista. The lower counter gives the place a warmer, more intimate atmosphere. As a short person myself, seeing a “front-row coffee” setup without tall bar stools filled me with secret delight. Poor Akang, though—working long hours with his head bent like that must take a toll.

Their espresso and pour-over menus are separated, but every time I meet Akang—whether at Houchao Men or here at Dengdeng—we never follow the regular customer routine. It’s always “Omakase”: he makes whatever he wants, and I drink it, haha.

He made me a Pink Bourbon from Colombia’s Emerald Estate, semi-washed.
To be honest, the dry aroma after grinding was full of ripe berry sweetness with a slight fermented edge—very anaerobic-like—instantly triggering images of deep-colored berries in my mind.

My initial understanding of “semi-washed” was something like “sun-dried first, then washed,” or similar to honey processing. But after looking into how Emerald Estate defines “semi-washed,” I found that they first depulp the cherries, leave the mucilage on, then let them undergo 42 hours of anaerobic resting before washing. Due to the farm’s high altitude and low temperatures, only part of the mucilage breaks down while the rest remains—making the result indeed somewhat honey-like.

The contrast between dry and wet aroma was quite striking.
Dry: sweet, complex, slightly fermented.
Wet: clean, delicate.

The texture was incredibly silky, with berry notes, plus hints of black plum and yuzu. As it cooled, the acidity rose slightly but stayed soft and gentle. The later stages moved toward a tea-like finish with a touch of brown sugar.

Of course, I also had to try an espresso drink. I completely trust Akang’s milk-coffee skills. His balance is always so perfect that even before tasting, the cup already looks delicious. The harmony ensures a consistent flavor in every sip—you end up finishing it in two or three gulps because you don’t want to miss the best drinking window.

He chose the shop’s No. 4 bean for me—a medium-roast, washed Costa Rica SOE. And naturally, I went for a Flat White.

The shop uses 21 grams of coffee for this recipe—more generous than most cafés, which truly shocked me, hahaha. No wonder the cup was incredibly rich, full-bodied, and dense. Even before drinking, the aroma of citrus mixed with almond chocolate rose straight to the nose.

The taste was a blend of balance and sweetness, giving a full, consistent experience from start to finish. Watching the latte art gradually merge with each sip was wonderful. The citrus notes intertwined with chocolate and almond, and the mid-to-late finish revealed endless caramel.

This cup alone filled my entire coffee capacity for the day—both satisfying and fulfilling!

Between coffees, Akang brewed several rounds of black tea. Each infusion had a different charm. We sipped tea, drank coffee, and kept chatting.

I occasionally glanced outside—the bustling crowds of Southern Song Imperial Street blurred into the neon of the deepening night.

Dengdeng… waiting for a green light to pass.
Giving yourself a moment to slow down, breathe,
and a reason to wait—
or someone worth waiting for.

When was the last time you waited for someone or something?

Next time, when you walk from the Southern Song Imperial Street toward Huimin Road and wait at the traffic light, turn around and take another look at “Dengdeng.”
It’s calling you.