Introduction:Panama Flower Butterfly is a light-roast blend that combines Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai, known for its bright citrus aroma and honey-like sweetness. This article details the optimal pour over parameters for this coffee, including filter choice, grind size, water temperature, and multi-stage pouring techniques. It also explains common issues with light roasts such as insufficient bloom expansion and sinking coffee bed in later stages—helping you consistently extract its layered floral and fruity notes.

Panama Flower Butterfly is a well-known light-roast blended coffee from the Boquete region, consisting of approximately 70% washed Geisha blended with Caturra and Catuai. Leveraging the advantages of high-altitude cultivation, this coffee delivers rich citrus aromas and honeyed sweetness, making it a popular choice among coffee enthusiasts for home brewing. However, due to its light roast profile, improper extraction techniques can easily result in muted flavors or a thin finish.

Many users often ask how to brew this coffee to bring out its best flavors. Below, we systematically explain how to consistently extract the floral notes and complexity of Flower Butterfly—from filter type, grind coarseness, water temperature control, coffee-to-water ratio, to the specific brewing steps.

For filter selection, both the Hario V60 and the Kalita Wave (cake filter) are great options. The V60 features a single large bottom hole and spiral ribs inside. Though it has a faster flow rate, its curved structure helps prolong contact time between coffee grounds and water, enhancing the aroma and complexity of Flower Butterfly.If you prefer a fuller body and more balanced flavor, the cake filter is also an ideal choice. Its three-bottom-hole design slows down the flow rate, and the flat bottom allows for a more even coffee bed and fuller extraction, resulting in a clean aroma and softer mouthfeel.

Regarding grind size, since Flower Butterfly is a high-altitude light-roast bean with relatively hard beans that are more resistant to over-extraction, it is recommended to usea medium-fine grind. Too fine a grind may lead to over-extraction, causing bitterness; too coarse may under-extract, highlighting acidity without enough sweetness. A moderate grind balances acidity and sweetness, making the floral and fruity notes more pronounced.

In terms of water temperature, Flower Butterfly benefits from brewing at89-91℃a relatively high temperature (around 89–91°C)

, which helps to accentuate its bright citrus and floral characteristics. Too low a temperature may make the flavors appear weak, while too high can introduce bitterness. Adjust slightly based on actual brewing results.For the coffee-to-water ratio, 1:15 to 1:16

is the recommended range. This allows the delicate flavors of Flower Butterfly to fully shine while avoiding an overly intense or diluted cup. This ratio achieves a balanced acidity and sweetness, and highlights its honey-like aftertaste.

In terms of brewing technique, it’s recommended to use a multi-stage pouring method to better control the extraction rhythm and enhance layering. Here's how: first, place 15 grams of coffee grounds in the filter and gently tap to level. The first pour is 30 grams of water for blooming, lasting about 30 seconds. Use a slow, thin stream, circling from the center outward to ensure even saturation.

Next, the second pour uses a straight, thin stream to add 120 grams of water. You can slightly increase the circle size to lift the coffee bed and promote degassing and full extraction. This stage should finish around 1 minute and 05 seconds, with a total water volume of 150 grams. In the final stage, when the liquid level drops to about half, pour 90 grams of water using a thin stream and small circles to avoid disrupting the coffee bed. This helps release more sweet compounds. The total water volume at the end is 240 grams, and the total dripping time is about 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

In practice, there are a few noteworthy phenomena. First, as a light roast, Flower Butterfly typically doesn’t expand much during the bloom stage—that’s normal and nothing to worry about. Also, during the final stage of brewing, you might notice the coffee bed sinking. This happens because light-roast beans contain less internal gas, which is gradually released during extraction, causing the bed to naturally compact. This doesn’t negatively impact the final flavor.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.