Limited Edition: Rwanda Fermentation Process Tasting Set

How we got here: 

All coffee undergoes a fermentation process before it gets dried, bagged, and shipped to us coffee roasters. When I first started selling my coffee, I had a lot of people asking me, "What's the difference between the different processing methods?" I could only give them generic descriptions like "washed is generally more tea-like and floral, but natural is more full bodied and fruity", which I know fails to capture the full picture. I've had washed and natural process coffee side by side, but there was always some other variable that could have impacted the flavor, such as the region it was grown in or the varietal of the coffee tree. If only I could find a way to isolate the coffee to just the processing method...My thought was that rather than trying to explain it in words, I would love to just let someone taste it for themselves. Selfishly, I wanted to taste the difference myself as well! 

For a few months I searched all over and reached out to some of my favorite distributors to see if there were any farms they dealt with that processed coffee from the same harvest with different methods. I even walked around the floors of World of Coffee asking various booths if they could offer this to me, but I struck out. For a while I thought I wouldn't be able to, but then back in May, Hacea Coffee, one of the green coffee distributors I work with, had the solution. They opened up their annual roasting champion, featuring a coffee from Rwanda that was from the same growers network, but processed both as a Natural and aSwiss Water Decaf. To my surprise, I looked on the website and they also had washed and anaerobic natural options as well! I jumped on the opportunity and picked up a couple small bags of each so I could learn alongside the rest of you.

Description:

This is a rare opportunity to try coffee all from the same growers region and same harvest, but processed with different methods. If you've shopped enough coffee you've likely heard of the terms "Washed Process" and "Natural Process". If you're really into coffee, you've probably heard of "Anaerobic Process" also. Here's your chance to try all 3 side by side so you can really understand the nuances of processing method. This is a limited edition offering, so once we run out, we're not going to be getting anymore in.

Body: Medium
Roast Level: Light
Acidity: Medium
Contents: 3x 4oz bags of Specialty Roasted Whole Bean Coffee
Country of Origin: Rwanda

Preferred Brew Method: Pour Over
Good with Milk?: No, best enjoyed black

Roaster's Notes: 

I spent a considerable amount of time dialing in the Natural Process variant of this coffee. It was the same batch that I also used for the roasting competition earlier this year. From there, I intentionally left everything the same. For the Anerobic Natural and the Washed Process, you're getting coffee that was roasted identically, so that the only difference you're tasting is the processing method. This of course means I didn't optimize the roast for the Anaerobic Natural or the Washed, but I felt this was the best way to showcase the change due solely to the processing method. These are all light roasted and in order to fully enjoy the nuances between them, pour over is really the only method I truly recommend you use. Make sure you also have a decent burr grinder so you can pick up on every detail. 

Shipping Details:

If product is out of stock, orders placed by end of day Thursday will be included in the weekend’s roast schedule and available for that weekend's local market (if scheduled). For customers unable to meet us for local pickup, all roasted coffee generally ships Monday and Tuesday.