We’ve just pulled a shot of the Panama a few hours after roasting and while it needs time to de-gas & round out, the general character of the coffee is clearly evident. We’ve not tasted any coffee from Panama before, and we’ve not read too much about it either, so we didnt carry any prejudices into the test.

We’re ashamed to admit that we over-extracted it slightly, as freshly roasted coffee grounds bind together very easily & hey we were careless & paid the price. Notwithstanding, the general character of this coffee is clean and very delicate.

Think of the very delicate Mexican coffee that we used to have as the nearest comparison. (the current offering of Mexican is no where near as delicate).

The Panama coffee is less creamy than the old Mexican offering, but it is more complex. The complexity would however be completely lost with the addition of milk. I also doubt if this coffee will be any good as a filter coffee as it presents low levels of acidity.

Its true that we have to drink a lot more of this coffee before we settle our views in terms of what it specifically tastes like, but already it is clear that this is a rare example of the single origin espresso style that reflects Londinium ethos; delicate single origin espresso with complexity. The kind of complexity you really have to focus on to fully appreciate. This espresso doesn’t shout at you, it presents itself in a barely audible whisper, yet with great beauty.