This will be our first time featuring coffees from TNT, a specialised coffee processing lab. Our head of coffee was invited to an event during his trip to Panama where TNT had been brewing some beautiful coffees. He subsequently visited their facility and was impressed with their work.
TNT Lab is a coffee processing project with the vision of creating a mill dedicated to special Geisha lots. The founders, Adrián Villarreal and Alfonso Cheung, share the same philosophy of combining experimental and natural techniques to bring out the best each coffee. Their goal is to collaborate with the incredible producers of panama, especially with those who may not be widely known but have spent years and generations cultivating their farms. Working together, they combine the producers' hard work with innovative processing techniques to create coffees that are distinctive and exceptional.
The pair of coffees we have this quarter come from the same farm but has been processed with two different methods by TNT Lab.
Bambito Verde Farm
The coffee cherries were sourced from Marcel & Iris Miranda at Bambito Verde Farm. This region, nestled near the Volcán Barú, is world-famous for its rich volcanic soils and unique microclimates that are ideal for producing Geisha coffees. The farm itself sits at a high altitude of 1850 meters above sea level where the cooler temperatures cause the coffee cherries to mature more slowly. This allows for a greater concentration of complex sugars and acids within the bean, resulting in a raw product with exceptional potential.
TNT Lab: Guarapo - Cold Fermentation Honey
Origin: Bambito, Chiriqui, Panama
This lot is fermented as a honey process, spending 4 days in a tank with its mucilage at a stable, cold 16°C. It then undergoes a long, slow 20-day drying period in a cold room (also 16°C) before a 4-day warm greenhouse finish. This method produces notes of jasmine, guava, melon, peach, and honey.
TNT Lab: Flower Machine - Cold Fermentation Washed
Origin: Bambito, Chiriqui, Panama
This Geisha lot first undergoes a 2-day natural fermentation before being depulped for a washed fermentation, all maintained at 16°C. It is then dried for 15 days in a 21°C cold room, followed by 5 days in a warm greenhouse. This precise technique yields elegant notes of honeysuckle, yuzu, apricot, and oolong.
