Gesha
Natural "Polar Bear"
TNT Lab, Digna Nuñez

Tastes Like: Pomegranate, Pineapple, Violet

Origin: Talamanca, Piedra Candela, Volcán, Panama

Variety: Gesha

Producer: Digna Nuñez / Adrian Santiago 

Elevation: 1,450-1,500 masl

Process:  Natural - Polar Bear (ultra-slow, temperature-controlled drying)

About the Farm and Producer

Digna Nuñez and her husband, Glaystter Aguilar, established Talamanca Coffee Farm in the 1990s, continuing a family coffee-growing tradition. Glaystter’s parents, Isidro Aguilar and Aloisa Hartman, had begun developing the family farm in the 1960s. Digna and Glaystter built on that foundation by refining cultivation and post-harvest practices while strengthening environmental conservation on the farm. Their sons now contribute to the business, extending the family’s involvement into a fourth generation.

The processing was handled by TNT Lab, a Panama-based processing project known for applying controlled fermentation and drying protocols to selected cherry from partner producers. In this lot, Digna Nuñez’s Gesha is paired with TNT Lab’s “Polar Bear” process, placing the focus on a clean but highly aromatic expression of Panama Gesha.

Variety

Gesha, also spelled Geisha, is an Arabica variety with origins in Ethiopia that became widely recognized through cultivation in Panama. It is valued for its potential for delicate floral and fruit aromatics at higher elevations. Its expression depends on the growing conditions and processing of each lot.

Processing

For Polar Bear, the coffee dries as whole cherries over 28 days, beginning with seven days at 9°C. The temperature then rises in three stages: seven days at 16°C, seven days at 25°C, and seven days at 30°C. This gradual progression from cold to warmer conditions defines TNT Lab’s ultra-slow natural process.