Sabri · 11 September 2026 · Special Guests
A Guest from London: Special Guests Lérida Pacamara
Release 066 from Special Guests, a roaster I kept hearing about on Reddit: a Pacamara from Panama's historic Finca Lérida. Shy on the nose, generous on the palate: juicy, oily, with a finish that lingers like a milk dessert.
- Roaster Special Guests
- Origin Panama · Lerida
- Process Natural OX
- Altitude 1600-1800m
- Roast Light
- Grind Comandante 23 clicks
- Ratio 1:16
- Time 3:00 - 3:10
- Water Temp 95°C
- Bloom 30 seconds
- Pour 4 pours (50/90/50/50)
- Roasted 28 Jul 2026
A New Stop: Special Guests from London
I had heard Special Guests mentioned again and again on Reddit’s coffee pages, and it finally landed on my radar too, so I ordered four bags of their coffee.
Special Guests is a roaster founded in London in 2022 by Paul Ross, a two-time UK Barista Champion. Their Marylebone café was shortlisted for Allegra’s Best Independent Coffee Shop Europe 2025. They offer their coffees as numbered releases in limited quantities, with a focus on rare micro-lots and competition-grade beans.
Today’s guest is Release 066: a Pacamara from Finca Lérida in Panama’s Boquete region. Founded in 1924, Lérida played an important part in introducing Panamanian coffee to the world with its first shipment to Germany in 1929.
Brew Recipe & Equipment
The coffee’s name scared me a little. These days I steer clear of labels like “ext”, “OX” or “extended natural”, but I had decided to buy this one anyway. The result in the cup is outstanding.
For my first brew I use the Orea v4 with its classic base. When the coffee comes out under-extracted, I raise the water temperature from 94 to 95 °C and change method: for the second brew I use the Origami Air S with Hario paper filters (the 40-count box). With four pours of 50/90/50/50 g, I finish the brew at around 3:00–3:10.
On the Nose (Aroma)
Unfortunately, the coffee is weak and closed on the nose.
On the Palate
A lively, juicy cup with medium acidity. The body is medium and very soft, and I fell for it. Its fruity character is decorated with red forest berries. It also has an oily texture, something I don’t come across often, and it makes me feel I’m drinking a top-tier coffee.
The finish lingers on the palate like a juicier version of Anatolia’s milk desserts. The bag’s label lists crème brûlée, strawberry yoghurt and cashew, and the milky-dessert finish and red fruit line up with those notes.
Final Word
With this coffee, Special Guests earns 89 points from me; if not for the closed nose, it could have scored full marks.