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Filter: SIBARIST
Dose: 20g
Ratio: 1:17
Grind: Sibarist Neutral
Brew Time: 2:35
TDS: 1.35%
Extraction: 20.1%
Dose: 20g
Ratio: 1:17
Filter: Hario V60
Grind: Slightly finer than Neutral
Brew Time: 3:20
TDS: 1.33%
Extraction: 19.5%
Dose: 20
Ratio: 1:17
Filter: Traditional Hario V60
Grind: Significantly Finer than Neutral
Brew Time: 3:16
TDS: 1.31
Extraction: 19.34%
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dose: 20g
Ratio: 1:17
Filter: Sibarist Fast
Lab Grind: 2.5
Brew Time: 2:15
TDS: 1.3
Extraction: 20.3%
This Inmaculada rare varieties tasting set is excellent for coffee enthusiasts who might be curious about how much a type of plant (variety) influences the final profile of the coffee.
Dose: 20g
Ratio: 1:17
Grind: Significantly finer than neutral
Brew Time: 3:30
TDS: 1.28%
Extraction: 19.4%
Whiskey Jack as a tasting set is designed to embrace innovation and experimentation while preserving one of the foundational ways that coffee is processed. Unique and extreme fermentations exaggerate and highlight the fruit-forward characteristics of natural processing. The results challenge the norms of coffee while respecting its history.
You can expect complex, layered, and fruit-forward cups from this set that features two carbonic macerations and one yeast inoculated natural.
The experimental fermentation on these coffees causes them to brew quite quickly while still achieving high extraction percentages. We are recommending the Sibarist Fast filters for this set to maintain clarity and complexity, but you can expect faster than usual brew times, even for these unique filters. A sub-2:30 brew time on a Hario V60 was very normal for these coffees, and still delivered on well-extracted cups.
I recommend brewing these coffees in the following order: Interstellar, Enigma, Symmetry. You should find that transitioning from one to the next requires just a small adjustment finer, with Interstellar being the coarsest and Symmetry being the finest. I also recommend waiting just a little longer than usual to begin sipping these coffees. They really open up and reveal their complexity when they’re warm but not piping hot.
Dose: 20 g
Ratio: 1:17
Grind: Slightly Coarser than Neutral
Filter: Sibarist Fast
Brew Time: 2:10
Extraction: 20.5%
Sensory Description:
A well-dialed cup of Interstellar is bursting with fruit flavors. At first, you’ll experience a lemon-lime acidity that sparkles on the palate. This is followed by a strawberry syrup note, combining the slightly effervescent acidity yet syrupy sweetness of a fresh strawberry. The texture is quite juicy and reminds me of very ripe cantaloupe and watermelon candy. The sweet red berry note lingers pleasantly on the aftertaste.
Dialing Notes:
Under-extraction on Interstellar resulted in a cup that was a little thin compared to the juiciness of a well-dialed brew. It lacked some sweetness as well, reminding me more of strawberry sparkling water as compared to strawberry syrup. It did not present with the usual sharp acidity of other under-extracted cups, so I would recommend paying more attention to the texture and sweetness when evaluating your brew. If lacking in both, try grinding slightly finer for the next cup.
Over-extracted cups of Interstellar fell a little flat, robbing the coffee of its acidity and sparkling qualities. There was an abundance of cocoa-like notes that while still pleasant, are not the unique and complex fruit notes this coffee is capable of. In this instance, I recommend grinding a little coarser and trying again.
Dose: 20 g
Ratio: 1:17
Grind: Slightly Coarser than Neutral
Filter: Sibarist Fast
Brew Time: 2:10
Extraction: 20.1%
Sensory Description:
Well-extracted cups of Enigma are rich and decadent, a unique experience compared to the typical delicate and tea-like nature of Gesha coffee. While not overly bright, there is still a very noticeable blackberry and cherry-like tartness. However, these notes are very sweet like blackberry compote and cherry cola compared to their fresh fruit counterparts. An underlying note of port wine holds the cup together, making this coffee reminiscent of a dessert wine.
Dialing Notes:
Under-extraction on Enigma maintained more of its syrupy texture than I would have expected. It did, however, present with a very punchy acidity that leaned a little into sourness. Rather than the tart and sweet complexity of a blackberry, I perceived something more like lime juice right on the front of my palate immediately after sipping. In this case, I would grind finer for the next brew.
Over-extracted cups of Enigma had cocoa-like notes similar to over-extracted cups of Interstellar. The slightly drying sensation of cocoa powder combined with a muted sweetness was an indication that I needed to grind a little coarser to get less extraction.
Dose: 20 g
Ratio: 1:17
Grind: Slightly Finer than Neutral
Filter: Sibarist Fast
Brew Time: 2:15
Extraction: 19.9%
Sensory Description:
Well-extracted cups of Symmetry are full of red- and dark-fruit complexity. You’ll get notes of light red wine like Pinot Noir, cherry limeade, and sangria. Mango nectar combines with darker fruits like dried plum and dates to create a permeating sweetness. You can expect a syrupy liqueur-like texture with a lingering red wine aftertaste.
Dialing Notes:
Under-extraction came across as a little thin and sour, pretty typical attributes of an under-extracted brew. Similar to Enigma, I detected some citrus acidity that didn’t have quite enough sweetness to make it feel complex and balanced. The fermentation on this coffee can make fruit notes very apparent, so be sure not to settle for unbalanced even though you’re detecting fruit. The cup should be bright and sweet at the same time.
Over-extracted cups of Symmetry were a little dull and papery, although they maintained some red fruit characteristics. The coffee was not as lively as I knew it could be, and also had a lingering chocolate syrup aftertaste, which while pleasant, was not the red wine flavor of a better extracted cup. In this instance, I would grind a little coarser for the next brew.
Dose: 20g
Ratio: 1:16
Grind: Slightly Coarser than Neutral
Filter: Traditional Hario V60
Brew Time: 3:30
TDS: 1.28%
Extraction: 19.3%
Dose: 20
Ratio: 1:17
Filter: Sibarist Fast
Grind: Finer than Neutral (slightly coarser than Nirvana and Symbiosis)
Brew Time: 2:30
TDS: 1.33
Extraction: 19.8%
Dose: 21g
Ratio: 1:16
Grind: Finer than Neutral
Brew Time: 3:10
TDS: 1.44%
Extraction: 20.13%
Dose: 20g
Filter: traditional Hario 02 V60
Ratio: 1:17
Grind: Finer than Neutral
Brew Time: 3:30
TDS: 1.35
Extraction: 20%
