Introducing Punchdrunk Tasting Set Dial

Punch Drunk Tasting Set • Fermentation Frontiers Set

About the Set

The punch drunk set is a set of three coffees that explore the frontiers of fermentation, serving as a signal that advancements in processing techniques within coffee are moving faster than ever. These coffees come from some of the most renowned and awarded producers in Panama. These coffees show excellent precision and control of the wild and often unpredictable process of fermentation, proving that out of the chaos can come beautiful results. Each coffee in the est represents the “Spirit of Fermentation" by being expressive, intense, and unapologetically bold.

This set features three fermented Geshas from Panama’s most influential producers. Two come from competition-winning grower Jamison Savage, one from his newest farm, Iris Estate, and one from his most established and celebrated farm, Finca Debora. The third coffee comes from the estate that brought Gesha to global prominence in 2004, Hacienda La Esmaralda.

Interstellar pushes the boundaries of fermentation through the use of added yeast and an extended fermentation, finished as a natural process. The result is a deeply rich, fruit-forward profile with notes of strawberry, lime, and melon. Mario BANC undergoes an anaerobic, cold-dried natural process, spending 45 days drying in a refrigerated environment, producing intensely candy-like fruit notes such as Jolly Rancher, cherry, mango smoothie, and red wine. Horizon Gesha is fermented with added yeast and then processed as a washed coffee, a hybrid approach that yields crisp, structured acidity with notes of starfruit, white cherry, and Lulo (a citrus fruit native to Colombia).

Together, these coffees are presented to showcase the pinnacle of modern coffee fermentation, where the wild spirit of fermentation is carefully guided by the precision and vision of award-winning Panamanian producers.

A note on Dialing:

We dialed this set of coffees with the traditional Hario V60 paper filters. We found that the fermentation processes accelerated the brew times, allowing us to get great cup profiles with the standard filters. The Sibarist filters, which brew much faster, required very fine grind settings, to the point that the coffees were tasting muddled.

Begin by dialing Mario first, as the grind size is not similar to Horizon or Interstellar. Once Mario is dialed, adjust the grind size significantly finer and dial either Interstellar or Horizon. Both Interstellar and Horizon dialed at the same grind sizes, meaning once one is dialed the other is dialed as well.

Iris Interstellar

Dose: 20g
Ratio: 1:17
Filter: Traditional Hario V60
Grind: Significantly finer than neutral
Brew Time: 3:15
TDS: 1.33
Extraction: 19.75%

Sensory Description:

A well extracted cup of Interstellar leads with its defining characteristic: texture - creamy and smooth like ripe cantaloupe. This coffee undergoes the same fermentation process as Horizon, but is finished as natural, presenting more body and texture forward than Horizon. The flavor is vibrant and tropical, with notes of strawberry candy, lime, and melon. The aftertaste is long and textured, similar to sensation of having finished eating a hard strawberry candy. The body is medium-heavy with a creamy mouthfeel.

Dial Notes:

Interstellar can be challenging to extract, requiring very fine grind sizes to achieve a balanced cup. The coffee drains quickly despite fine grind sizes. For reference, Interstellar required a grind size finer than almost all other pour overs we have dialed this year using the traditional Hario v60 filters.

Under-extracted brews of interstellar taste sour and thin, losing the best characteristic of interstellar: its texture. Both under and well extracted brews of interstellar have bright acidity, use texture and sweetness as the guide when assessing extraction.

Over-extracted brews of interstellar shifted toward a muted acidity while sustaining the creamy texture. The key distinction was that the vibrant, high acidity citrus notes disappeared, losing the overall balance between sweetness and acidity. 

Mario BANC

Dose: 20g
Ratio: 1:17
Filter: Hario V60
Grind: Slightly finer than Neutral
Brew Time: 3:20
TDS: 1.33%
Extraction: 19.5%

Sensory Description:

Well-dialed cups of Mario BANC feature a very unique and pleasant creaminess not found in many coffees. The silky and creamy texture combines with fruit notes of mango and cherry, with the result being reminiscent of a fruit smoothie. At our target extraction, this coffee featured a sparkling acidity like cherry cola and deep sweetness similar to very ripe fresh mango. You should also expect an aftertaste of lingering vanilla and orange creamsicle.

Dial Notes:

This coffee brewed at the long end of our time parameters, pretty close to 3:30, so don’t be afraid of slightly longer brews as long as they don’t stall.

Over-extracted brews of Mario BANC flattened out the sparkly acidity of better dialed cups. Even at very fine grind settings, the coffee retained a lot of sweetness. However, it lacked the juicy quality of fresh fruits, leaning more towards dried cherry and dried mango characteristics. The texture became too heavy, losing some of the signature gesha delicacy you would expect. A pretty significant dark chocolate note also came through, overpowering some of the more nuanced fruit and floral notes. In this case, I would recommend grinding a little coarser for the next brew.

Under-extracted cups don’t come across as exceptionally sour like other coffees might. Rather, you’ll get a thinner body and subtler texture, making the coffee more tea-like compared to the creamy and silk body of well-dialed cups. The tasting notes become more like fruity teas, similar to cascara tea or hibiscus tea, losing some of the fresh fruit juiciness and sweetness. While under-extracted cups still are relatively pleasant, if you’re getting notes similar to what’s described above, I would try grinding a little finer on the next cup.

Deborah Horizon

Dose: 20
Ratio: 1:17
Filter: Traditional Hario V60
Grind: Significantly Finer than Neutral
Brew Time: 3:16
TDS: 1.31
Extraction: 19.34%

Sensory Description:

Well dialed cups of Horizon are dark berry forward and deeply sweet, with a crisp, clean acidity. The body is medium-heavy, falling between the typical bodies of washed and natural coffees, likely due to the hybrid processing of the coffee. When well extracted, this coffee has notes of starfruit (similar to green grape), white cherry, and lulo fruit (a citrus native to Colombia similar to lemon, kiwi, and rhubarb). The aftertaste is long and pleasant, like ripe berries and cherry. The texture is similar to that of cranberry juice.

Dial Notes:

Horizon dialed very similar to Interstellar, in that it required a very fine grind size to properly extract and produce a balanced cup. We found the optimal extraction near the same grind size as Interstellar. 

Under-extracted brews of Horizon appear pleasant while hot, but once cooled loose the juicy body found in well extracted brews and lean toward underripe cherry notes. Adjust the grind size finer until the cup is sweet and balanced from hot to cold.

Over-extracted brews of Horizon are hard to achieve, as it requires such a fine grind size, however they will be muted and dissipate quickly on the palate. Over-extracted brews will taste similar to a very dark chocolate bar with dried cherry. Adjust coarser until the profile is full of ripe fruit notes and vibrant rather than muted chocolate and fruit.

Also in Reserve Dials