Panama | Iris Estate | Jamison Savage | Gesha Natural Afterglow 2024 | Signature Series
Upcoming Roast / 80g
$69.00
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Panama | Iris Estate | Jamison Savage | Gesha Natural Afterglow 2024 | Signature Series
This coffee has run out and is no longer roasted — kept here for archival purposes. Browse current coffees
View the history of our coffee stock status here
Origin and Sourcing
Varietal:
Gesha
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Gesha (or Geisha), originally from Ethiopia, gained fame through Panamanian farms for its outstanding floral and tea-like cup profile. Often described as jasmine, bergamot, and stone fruit in the cup, it commands some of the highest prices in specialty coffee. It has low yields and is challenging to grow but highly sought after for competition and premium markets.
Processing Method:
Natural
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The natural process involves drying whole coffee cherries under the sun, allowing the beans to absorb flavors from the fruit as they dry. This results in a coffee with a heavy body, fruity sweetness, and complex flavors. It’s commonly practiced in Ethiopia and Brazil, where the climate is conducive to sun-drying.
Producer:
Jamison Savage, Sasa Sestic, Elvin Siew
Farm:
Iris Estate
Region / Area:
Volcan
Altitude:
1850–2222 MASL
Harvest Period:
December – June 2024
Sourcing Partner:
Project Origin
Coffee Storage:
Frozen
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For our exotic coffee, we store all the green beans frozen at -22°C in commercial freezers. This locks in freshness, halting enzymatic reactions that degrade flavor. Upon arrival we separate into small 2-3kg vacuum-sealed lots and freeze so that our greens do not age and we can sell these exotic coffees for years to come or until sold out.
Roast Details
Roast Style:
Filter
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Filter roasts are lighter with a shorter development time, designed to highlight clarity, acidity, and fruit-driven complexity — perfect for black coffee and filter methods. These roasts can also be used for espresso, especially if you enjoy brighter, more vibrant shots. Try longer brew ratios or turbo shots to tame acidity and bring out sweetness. Espresso roasts, on the other hand, are developed further to encourage deeper caramelization and Maillard reactions, producing richer, chocolatey, and nutty flavours that shine in milk and offer a fuller-bodied espresso.
We don't usually roast omni (one roast for all brew methods) — in our experience, it tends to be a compromise that's average at both. But occasionally, for larger lots or versatile blends, we may do an omni roast to suit both black and milk drinkers.
Roast Level:
Light
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This is a more accurate reflection of the actual roast level rather than internal & external colour readings and is based off roasting weight loss %. <11% is Nordic ultra-light; 11–13% is Light with balanced acidity and sweetness; 14–16% is Medium for rounded body and caramel; 16–20% is Dark for rich, chocolatey intensity; 20%+ is Starbucks/Italian for bold, smoky depth. Some would say the higher the %, the 'stronger' the coffee.
Roasting Weight Loss:
11.6%
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Coffee roasting weight loss refers to the significant reduction in the mass of green coffee beans during the roasting process, typically ranging from 9% to 25% depending on the roast level. This phenomenon primarily occurs due to the evaporation of moisture, which constitutes about 9–13% of the bean's initial weight.
Internal Agtron:
108
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This is a more accurate reflection of the actual roast colour than external as it's measured after grinding. Internal Agtron reveals how far into the bean the roast has penetrated. Our filter roasts often score over 100, preserving acidity, florals, and the unique vibrant characteristics of each origin and process. Please bear in mind that grind coarseness can affect the internal colour readings, so it is impossible to compare from roaster to roaster using this colour reading.
External Agtron:
78
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This refers to the surface colour of the whole roasted bean, but it's not always a reliable indicator of roast level. Some of our most vibrant and lightly roasted coffees, like our Ecuadorian Sidra, may appear medium-dark (Agtron 50–60) due to their surface colour, yet are in fact light roasts with minimal development time. Surface colour can be affected by the original green colour, bean type, density, and moisture — so don't judge a bean by its exterior.
Agtron Spread:
30
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The Agtron spread is the difference between the colour of whole beans and ground coffee, showing how deeply the coffee is developed. A spread of 0–10 usually indicates very dark, oily roasts typical of Italian-style, which we don't offer at our Roastery. Spreads between 11–20 and 21–30 represent the roast levels you'll find in our espresso coffees, balancing sweetness, acidity, and body. Spreads above 30 make up most of our filter coffee range, featuring very light, bright roasts that highlight fruity, floral, and complex flavours. Within this, spreads from 31–40 offer clarity and vibrancy, while spreads of 40–50 showcase ultra-light roasts with delicate acidity and nuanced character.
Roasted On Machine:
Roest L100 Ultra
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The ROEST L100 Ultra is the most advanced sample roaster in its class, combining the precision of the L100 Plus with next-generation hardware upgrades and new airflow technology. A redesigned, fully perforated drum with reversible rotation introduces a counterflow mode that channels air directly through the bean mass—allowing faster, more efficient heat transfer and enabling lighter roasts or second crack in under 90 seconds. With upgraded 5 GHz Wi-Fi, a faster processor, built-in pressure sensor, and refreshed UI matching the P3000, the Ultra offers better batch consistency (even at 50g), improved airflow calibration, and lower energy consumption. It’s a serious tool for roasters wanting unmatched control, speed, and repeatability—while still fitting neatly on the benchtop.
Taste Profile
Tasting Notes:
Peach, toffee, orange, white floral, fruity, clean, balanced (2024 Afterglow lot)
Cupping Score:
90.0
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Our coffees are scored using the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol by Q Grader–certified cuppers. A score of 80+ qualifies as specialty grade — clean, well-processed, and high quality. 80–84 coffees are more common and often used in blends. 85–87 are brighter, more complex, and better suited for high-quality filter brews. 88–90 are exceptional, and 90+ coffees are ultra-rare, often Cup of Excellence (COE) winners — the best in the world.
Suitable with Milk?
Yes
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Some of our light roasted filter coffees are bursting with bright, fruity acidity — think citrus, berries, or tropical notes. While these flavours shine on their own, they don't always play well with milk. The acidity can clash with milk's natural sweetness and creaminess, sometimes creating sour or chalky flavours.
Decaffeinated?
No
Import into Beanconqueror
Import into xBloom (18g)
Panama | Iris Estate | Jamison Savage | Gesha Natural Afterglow 2024 | Signature Series - When is peak flavour?
Light Roast - Roasted on Roest L100 Ultra
View other coffees in our Iris Esatate Collection here
Iris Estate Geisha AfterGlow Lot Processing Details
- Cherries are meticulously harvested perfectly ripe at a reading over 21ºBrix
- Cherries are immediately taken to the drying house at Finca Deborah and spread out on the top level of the three tier, raised African bed system
- Cherries are maintained at a specific depth of layering to prevent over-fermentation
- The Finca Deborah drying room controls temperature, heat, humidity and airflow toensure cherries have optimal conditions to enhance the best flavours
- Cherries are consistently agitated throughout the day during the first several days to enable consistent drying and to prevent mould
- After several days on the top level under direct sunlight cherries are moved to the
second level to continue drying for up to 30 days - Slower, labourious, and methodical drying processes prove essential to allow the coffee to absorb layered, natural and complex flavours from the fruit
- Moisture content is reduced to 10.5-11%
- Beans are stored in dried cherry pods and placed in grain-pro bags that are stored in bodega for up to 90 days
- This “reposo” or rest period allows the coffee to stabilise and equalise its humidity levels while also absorbing more flavours and sweetness from the dried fruit
Beans are then hulled and selected for density, size, shape and colour before being
lightly vacuum sealed ready for export
About Iris Estate
Perched high in Panama’s mountains, Iris Estate is where nature takes the lead in crafting exceptional specialty coffee. The land is alive, with fertile soil, soft sunlight, and fresh mountain water shaping every cherry that grows here. Under the guidance of world-renowned producers Jamison Savage and Sasa Sestic, the estate is nurtured with a philosophy of minimal interference, allowing the environment itself to define the coffee’s flavour and character.
Every decision at Iris Estate, from which varieties are planted to their placement across altitude and aspect and the processing style chosen, is made to showcase terroir. This careful harmony between land and grower produces coffees celebrated for their clarity, balance, and complexity. We freeze all our green beans from Iris Estate to preserve their pristine condition and flavour until the moment they’re roasted.
Founded by three leading coffee professionals, Iris Estate represents a new vision for the future of specialty coffee: one where the cup reflects the land it came from, not just the process behind it. The team’s mission extends beyond the farm to build transparency, sustainability, and stronger connections between producers and drinkers. Through open sharing of their cultivation and harvest practices, they invite coffee lovers around the world to experience the journey from soil to cup.
At its heart, Iris Estate stands as a beacon for what’s possible when passion, place, and purpose align, proof that the truest expression of coffee begins in the trees themselves.
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Coffee in Panama
- Though small in coffee production, Panama is a mighty player in coffee quality. In particular, Panama is famous for producing Geisha variety lots that have fetched prices exceeding $800 per pound. Today, its renown as a producer of rare and sought-after varieties positions Panama as a contender for a new kind of ‘coffee-tourism’ that has the potential to change the way we produce, purchase, consume and talk about specialty coffee on a global scale.
The high value of Geisha has brought out both the best and worst in the industry. For established producers who receive excellent prices for their Geisha and other lots, the high prices they receive have often been reinvested in their communities and in renovating their farms to be as environmentally sustainable as possible. Unfortunately, the lure of Geisha’s high value has led some people bypass traditional land purchasing agreements and illegally deforest areas of national parks to get the best location for new (and illicit) Geisha farms.
Even as the number of producers those receiving high prices for their Geisha remains relatively low, the blossoming coffee industry in Panama has demonstrated potential to raise incomes for a wider spectrum of producers and coffee workers.