Special Guests - Kotowa Chocolate & Coffee Set - Panama
Special Guests has been on our radar for a while, but we had gotten reports that they were more developed than we would like. Recently, a mutual in Canada gave us some bags from them to sample. While it is on the more developed end of what I drink, I ended up really liking the coffees. I think their approach and sourcing is really unique and we reached out after finishing the bags.
Roast Profile: Light-medium. While it is more developed, the roast profile does a good job of highlighting sweet fruit notes and juicy acidity. without coming off as 'roasty' (as long as you brew it with a lower ey recipe).
Why did we bring this coffee on?
Okay, this is a really fun "taster set". Special Guests offered this as well, but ours is a bit different! They went to Kotowa, a farm in Panama, and sourced both their geshas and their chocolate. They released both their coffee and a chocolate bar processed from Cocoa at their farm. We are offering it as a tasting set that features the bar and 30g (repackaged) of their natural Gesha! Pretty fun way to sample some offerings from the farm!
"When we visited Kotowa earlier in the year not only did we taste exceptional coffee, but also their cacao. Working with chocolate experts, Bare Bones Chocolate, we’ve collaborated to create a limited edition 55% milk chocolate this festive season, showcasing two sides to this incredible producer."
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"It represents the first year we have cupped with Victoria and the team at Kotowa - multi-generation family-run business in Panama. We were able to secure this incredible lot earlier on in the year, on a table of exceptional coffees. It stood out for it's incredibly clean, floral characteristics whilst also maintaining attributes of the natural process.
It is also a first for Kotowa. The farm this Geisha was grown on their Silvia Marina farm - acquired in 2017 - it saw its first flowering last year and then the first full harvest in 2025."
Tasting notes: apricot, chamomile and fig