Generally, the use of yeast during coffee processing is associated with developing a sweet, boozy or funky flavour through pushing a level of fermentation. For this particular coffee the aim is instead to create an incredibly clean coffee.

After the coffee cherries are harvested the whole fruit is placed into a fermentation tank where a French wine makers yeast is added after being rehydrated. The beans will sit in this environment for 40-46 hours, with regular stirring and temperature probing. The yeast is used to uniformly and comprehensively eat the sugars which exist in the fruit of the coffee. This means that the mucilage on the outside of the coffee falls away almost completely, without the need for incredibly expensive hulling equipment. So instead of producing a funky and complex coffee what is created is an incredibly clean washed coffee. For the price of a bag of winemakers yeast the washing station can create hundreds of kilos of coffee, as opposed to having to invest in incredibly expensive equipment for hulling. This means that poorer communities can offer a very high-quality product onto the wider market, giving them a more sustainable trade and future.

The Flavour

Expect a bright, cranberry, orange acidity to this coffee, a clean and uncomplicated cup. There is a sweet body to it, like the sweetness of a doughnut, but a very low bitterness. Through a paper filter it results in one of the cleanest coffees we’ve had for a long time, but you’ll experience more of that sweet dough body if you brew it as an espresso, particularly with milk. Don’t be afraid to push the shot time further than a darker roast, to ensure that the acidity isn’t too sour, but that it is allowed to offer a fruit sweetness backed by that doughnut sweetness.