Kotowa Coffee - Panama Geisha Collaboration

Introduction

We are thrilled to share a fully collaborative and exclusive Special Reserve, Blackboard x Kotowa release from Boquete’s high slopes. Two exclusive Geisha lots, co-developed at origin by Ricardo Koyner and Danny Andrade, take the same hillside on different tracks. One follows a Hybrid Washed path for crystalline structure. The other runs a Hybrid Natural programme for deeper fruit and texture. Both were harvested in April 2025 between 1,900 and 2,125 MASL. 

“We focus on coffees that are expressing their true flavour.” 
- Ricardo Koyner

 

“together had some ideas and created these two incredible lots we call hybrid series” - Danny Andrade

Ricardo’s line above frames this collaboration neatly, keeping the focus on place and honest processing.

There's a super limited supply of these gems, once they're gone, they're gone forever!

Blackboard's Seal of Exclusivity

Along with these incredible Kotowa coffees we’re introducing a new seal marking coffee lots exclusive to Blackboard, which you’ll spot on select releases across our Special Reserve and Limited Release ranges.

It signifies a direct relationship with the people behind the beans, plus a unique approach to coffee processing and fermentation. The purpose is to collaborate with and highlight with farmers that are doing things right; respecting the land, showcasing terroir and creating a sustainable future for coffee.

You can be sure that if you see this emblem on a Blackboard pack, the coffee inside will truly be something special and that you won't find it anywhere else!

Explore the Releases

Kotowa Coffee
Panama Geisha | Hybrid Washed Lot 252B

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Kotowa Coffee
Panama Geisha | Hybrid Natural Lot 251B

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Pick up the pair and taste process side by side.

How’s It Taste?

Hybrid Washed

Flavour jasmine, gardenia, white peach, kumquat, tangerine, coffee blossom, honey.
Floral to start, white peach gliding into citrus zest. Honeyed sweetness balances the sparkle. The finish is clean with blossom perfume that lingers.

“when we’re doing wash we’re really looking at either florals or yellow fruits this is mostly what is expressed when you do wash coffees” - Ricardo

 

“a lot of jasmine, gardenia and white peach, we have kumquat coming through, honey sweetness. Just really beautiful” - Danny

Hybrid Natural Lot

Flavour jasmine, dried apricot, blood orange, rockmelon, golden kiwi, raw sugar.
Riper stone fruit and melon, a lift of blood orange, then raw-sugar depth. Plush body, long aftertaste, plenty of definition as it cools.

“it’s more about the clean nice expressive fruits, raspberries blueberries, you know there’s there could be a combination of a lot of different [fruits] that can come out of it” - Ricardo

How To Brew

To fully unlock the unique characteristics of these Special Reserve coffees, we recommend trying these brewing methods:

• Pour Over
  • Metal V60 - best for the Hybrid Washed
  • Resin V60 - best for the Hybrid Natural
  • Origami ceramic dripper
  • Hario Switch
  • Chemex
• Siphon
• Aeropress
• Delterpress

Each method reveals different layers of flavour, ensuring a memorable cup every time. For more brewing tips, check out our Brewing Guide.

Recipe - Hybrid Washed 252B

Recipe - Hybrid Natural 251B

“it’s hard to do a recipe … it’s more like a craftsmanship … you want to go a little cooler, a little hotter … all those things change the condition … it just creates different flavour profiles” - Ricardo

Who’s Behind This Coffee?

Kotowa means “mountains”. The Koyner family has worked Boquete’s valley for four generations, pairing spring-water processing with slow, low-temperature drying and strict traceability. Environmental care sits at the core, from ultra-low water use per kilo and composting of pulp, to forest protection and a daycare for pickers’ children. Their record includes multiple Best of Panama wins and national recognition for clean industry and quality.

“I’m a third generation of coffee growers. The farm was started by my grandfather. He started planting coffee in Boquete, which is probably one of the most known regions in Panama … because of the quality of the coffee produced especially in geisha.” - Ricardo

Silvia Marina is one of Kotowa’s farm blocks, sitting a little higher than the neighbouring Duncan Farm block. Regenerated from bare, nutrient-poor ground and now Silvia Marina is celebrating its first full harvest. In 2025 it placed 10th in Best of Panama, Geisha Washed, a strong signal of potential. Kotowa also stewards Las Brujas, Duncan, Rio Cristal and Carolina across Boquete’s microclimates, each site adding depth to the programme.

“It used to be farmland for extensive crops like onions and potatoes … there was a lot of erosion … we put it into what we call regenerative agriculture … we started planting native trees, native plants, trying to get all that natural environment that was there originally to grow back. That took about five years and then we started planting coffee.” - Ricardo

On the Blackboard side, Danny Andrade led process design with Ricardo Koyner. The brief was clear, tune structure, fruit clarity and shelf stability for an Australian release, while keeping the farm’s character front and centre.

"We focus on quality, but we also focus on social aspects … We have a nursery for the kids … medical, teaching, learning programs for the kids and for the adults … And we focus a lot on taking care of the environment.” - Ricardo

The Process

“Having a plant in a more natural environment also helps the incorporation of a lot of microorganisms that help the plant find nutrients in the soil, but it also creates a more complex fermentation system because of the complexity and the bigger amount of those microorganisms that we have. So it creates more complex notes in the cup.” - Ricardo

What is the "Hybrid Series"?

The Hybrid Series is one of many various processing protocols created by Danny Andrade through his brand Processing Methods Bootcamp. Processing Methods Bootcamp is a culmination of Danny’s travels, research, hands-on trials and experiments. His vision behind this endeavour is to connect producers with coffee professionals and  by unifying the language of processing methods.

The Hybrid Series focusses on the application of anaerobic and aerobic fermentation on each lot. This allows Blackboard Coffee Roasters, in collaboration with the particular producer, the ability to create a complex and well-structured cup with a crisp acidity. 

Kotowa Coffee Panama Geisha Hybrid Washed Lot 252B

• Selective harvest in April 2025, Geisha cherries picked ripe.

• Sealed phase for two days in low oxygen.

• Pulp to parchment, soak in spring water for 24 hours.

• Rinse to push clarity.

• Dry on beds for about two weeks to 12% moisture.

• Rest in cool storage before export.

Why it tastes this way: the sealed start builds aromatic precursors, the soak and rinse polish structure, the measured dry locks in the floral, citrus and honey profile.

“it’s really hard to have consistency and every time you create something or you ferment a coffee you might have something different or you might have something similar” - Danny

 

“Correct and even if you have a recipe for example if today is a very hot day when you are harvesting that also changes the activity of some of the microorganisms … if the day that i'm harvesting is humid … that creates a different pathway” - Ricardo

Kotowa Coffee Panama Geisha Hybrid Natural Lot 251B

• Selective harvest in April 2025.

• Sealed phase for two days in low oxygen.

• Open-air rest for one day.

• Spring-water wash to cleanse the fruit surface.

• Raised-bed drying for 30 days, turned twice daily.

• Static finish for three days to reach 12% moisture.

• Rest in a cool warehouse before export.

Why it tastes this way: the long on-skin dry concentrates sugars and builds dried-apricot and melon notes, the static finish evens moisture, the rest period settles the cup for length and sweetness.

“each time we do a process if we change let's say more hours in fermentation actually what we're doing stimulating other type of of bacteria or other types of of cheese if we ferment at higher temperatures or lower temperatures really what we're doing is stimulating these different types they're very sensible to changes in temperature” - Ricardo

The Region

“we have different farms in the region because we have a lot of different microclimates which is one of the things that makes panama so special as a as an origin we because we have the pacific ocean and the atlantic ocean so close they're only about 50 kilometers each from the growing region and we also have different soil formations due to many different volcanic formations. So we have a lot of soil types.” - Ricardo

El Salto, Boquete sits in a cool volcanic valley with regular mist and healthy day-night swings. Altitude here slows maturation and concentrates sugars. Kotowa processes with natural spring water, dries coffee in the sun at high elevation or at gentle temperatures under cover, then rests the lots for flavour stability. Full bag-code traceability follows every batch from tree to roaster.

"then of course climate change because what climate change does is that it used to be dry during a certain period now it rains during those periods so the plant is going kind of crazy… the cost to produce coffee is going higher and higher.” - Ricardo

Conclusion

Two paths, one producer. Kotowa Coffee Panama Geisha Hybrid Washed Lot 252B and Kotowa Coffee Panama Geisha Hybrid Natural Lot 251B show how a regenerative Boquete farm and a roastery can design flavour together without losing place or variety. Short run, clearly separated styles. Secure the duo, brew side by side and taste the split between structure and fruit for yourself.

Hybrid Washed | Hybrid Natural | Claim the Bundle

For those interested in establishing a wholesale coffee partnership, head to our wholesale page and fill out the contact form. If you're a venue looking to purchase casually or feature us as a guest roaster, visit Ordermentum to connect and view our price list.