In the 2025 Best of Panama Washed Geisha category, Finca Nuguo ranked third with 95.27 points, behind only Esmeralda and Sofia. In terms of fame, Nuguo is not as renowned as its two neighbors, but in terms of production conditions, it is equally surprising—the entire estate is only 5 hectares.
Nuguo is located in the remote Jurutungo area of the Renacimiento region in Chiriquí Province, adjacent to La Amistad International Park, one of the larger rainforest reserves in Central America. Because the estate is home to a wide variety of birds, the owner named it Nuguo, the Spanish pronunciation for "bird". The Gallardo family has been running coffee estates since the 1970s, initially growing common varieties such as Caturra and Catuai. In 2006, the current owner, José Manuel Gallardo Arauz, noticed that this piece of land at Nuguo had high enough altitude and abundant cloud cover, with the potential to grow a different kind of Geisha, so he tried cultivating Geisha varieties here. Today, Nuguo is managed by his son José "Pocho" Gallardo. Pocho, who studied engineering, made many improvements in production and drying processes after taking over.
Nuguo is planted at an altitude of about 1,700 to 1,950 meters, shrouded in clouds year-round, with large temperature differences between day and night, causing coffee cherries to mature slowly and develop full flavors. However, such an environment also poses challenges for processing: high humidity and low temperatures mean that any slight negligence in handling fresh cherries can easily lead to defects. To address this, the owner and his wife built their own processing plant on the estate, processing immediately after harvest and handling everything themselves. Pocho has also maintained years of exchange with the team at Counter Culture, gradually translating cupping feedback into adjustments in planting and post-processing details, which is one reason why Nuguo's flavor has become more stable year by year. In 2015, encouraged by Wilford Lamastus, owner of Elida Estate, Nuguo entered BOP for the first time and unexpectedly won the washed category championship. In 2021, it topped the natural category with a natural Geisha, and its washed batch that same year also took second place. In 2025, this 95.27-point washed Geisha once again brought the 5-hectare small estate to the podium.
The land is small and the yield is limited, but Nuguo has achieved consistent quality through generations of dedication. For enthusiasts seeking niche Panamanian Geisha, this name is worth remembering.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
