ETHIOPIAN - ANAEROBIC NATURAL

This lot of coffee underwent Natural processing with 20 days of fermentation in an anaerobic environment. Ripe cherry deliveries from smallholder contributing producers are first sorted by hand. The best cherries are then placed into special bags which are then sealed. Oxygen is removed from the bags with a vacuum, and the fermentation of the coffee produces CO2, creating an anaerobic environment in the bag. After 20 days of fermentation the cherries are removed from the bag and moved to dry on raised beds for 2–3 weeks until they reach their target humidity.

Anaerobic fermentation in coffee processing can result in lots that are uniquely complex, with distinct flavors unlike those found in many other coffees. This particular kind of fermentation only occurs in an oxygen-free environment; the process is slower than typical aerobic fermentation and results in some different chemical products being created. This extended fermentation and its related chemical products are what help to bring out the cup profiles that we’ve come to associate with anaerobic fermentation in coffee—juicy and ripe fruit flavors, delicate and complex florals, and distinctly rich sweetness.