Nuguo - Lot 528

Nuguo is a truly special estate to me.

It is located at the northernmost edge of Panama, almost right on the border with Costa Rica. Visiting in person, we went through a long and demanding drive—at one point even passing armed military checkpoints—before being allowed to enter this border region. In that moment, you clearly realize: this is not an easy place to reach.

The farm owner, Pocho, feels like a lone ranger.

He chose to develop coffee in such a remote, mountainous border area and has devoted himself entirely to the exploration of micro-lots.

Walking through the forests of Nuguo, you’ll notice that the coffee trees grow in an almost completely natural state—very much like Ethiopia’s forest coffee systems. Coffee cherries harvested from different areas, or even from just a handful of trees, may be treated as an independent micro-lot. Pocho firmly believes that differences in location—soil, sunlight, wind direction, and humidity—are more than enough to create entirely distinct flavor expressions.

This year, we even saw him experimenting with an “egg-carton–like” structure, separating each individual coffee cherry to minimize contact during fermentation and drying. This approach pushes the concept of micro-lots to its absolute extreme. And it is precisely this near-obsessive attention to detail that allows Nuguo’s Geisha to express a character that is striking, singular, and impossible to replicate.

Nuguo coffees are undeniably expensive. But once you taste what’s in the cup, the depth of sweetness and the clarity of layers are immediately apparent. You can feel it clearly—this is not just technique, but the result of immense dedication and care invested into every corner of the land.

Location (Geography & Terroir)

• Located in the Jurutungo mountain area of Renacimiento, Chiriquí Province, Panama.
• Elevation ranges from approximately 1,700 to over 2,000 meters above sea level, classified as high-altitude coffee terrain.
• One side borders La Amistad International Park, the largest protected rainforest in Central America, while the other lies close to the Costa Rican border, creating a unique microclimate.
• Terroir characteristics: cool nighttime temperatures, ample rainfall, strong winds, and frequent fog—conditions ideal for sugar accumulation and slow, complex maturation.

Farm Size & Plots

• Productive area of approximately 5 hectares, divided into multiple distinct micro-lot plots for cultivation and processing.

Farm Ownership

• Operated by the Gallardo family.
• Key figure: José Manuel “Pocho” Gallardo, who holds a PhD and has a background in civil engineering.
• Pocho applies engineering logic and an experimental mindset to processing and drying, allowing for innovative and highly precise control.

Family Farming History

• The family has been growing coffee in the region since the 1960s, originally focusing on traditional varieties such as Caturra and Catuai.
• Rare Geisha varieties were introduced to Nuguo only about a decade ago.

Auctions & International Recognition

Finca Nuguo has consistently performed at the Best of Panama (BOP) auctions, earning high scores and top placements across multiple categories.

Selected results include:

• 2025 BOP – Washed Geisha: 3rd place, achieving an auction price of USD 5,108 per kilogram.
• Additional placements and high scores in Natural, Washed, and Innovation categories in previous years.

Natural Environment & Microclimate

• High elevation and rainforest-edge conditions extend the ripening period, allowing greater sugar development.
• Strong winds, large temperature swings, and high humidity contribute to greater flavor complexity.

Precision Agriculture & Processing

• Pocho integrates engineering and scientific methodologies into processing, such as precise control of fermentation time and temperature, to improve flavor stability.
• Each micro-lot is dried and processed separately according to its specific plot and terroir characteristics.

Extremely Limited Production

• Annual production is extremely low—measured in tons rather than tens of tons.
• For Geisha, yields are typically around 1–3 tons per year, far below commercial farm levels. This scarcity is a key factor behind Nuguo’s premium pricing.