Processing Methods

Washed (Wet Process)

Cherry skin and mucilage removed before drying. The bean ferments in water tanks to dissolve remaining fruit. Produces the cleanest, most terroir-transparent cups.

Clean, bright acidity, clear origin character. What you taste is the bean, not the process.

Natural (Dry Process)

Whole cherries dried on raised beds with fruit intact. The bean absorbs sugars and flavors from the drying fruit. The oldest processing method — predates washed by centuries.

Fruity, sweet, heavy body, wine-like. The fruit speaks as loudly as the bean.

Honey Process

Cherry skin removed but some or all mucilage left on during drying. Named for the sticky, honey-like texture of the drying beans. Bridges washed clarity and natural fruitiness.

Sweet, medium body, stone fruit. The Goldilocks of processing.

Red Honey

More mucilage left on than yellow honey, less than black honey. Dried more slowly for deeper fruit absorption.

Sweeter than yellow honey, more fruit depth, maple-like sweetness.

Black Honey

Nearly all mucilage left on. Dried very slowly, often covered. Maximum fruit absorption short of natural process.

Very sweet, heavy body, dried fruit, almost natural-like.

Wet-Hulled (Giling Basah)

Unique to Indonesia. Parchment removed while beans are still wet (30-35% moisture vs. 11% for other methods). Creates the distinctive earthy, herbal Sumatran profile.

Earthy, herbal, heavy body, low acidity, tobacco, cedar. Polarizing and unique.

Some argue it's a defect. Others call it terroir. The debate is the point.

Anaerobic Natural

Whole cherries sealed in oxygen-free tanks before natural drying. Controlled fermentation creates intense, sometimes wine-like flavors.

Intensely fruity, wine-like, tropical, sometimes boozy. Fermentation amplified.

Anaerobic Washed

Depulped beans fermented in sealed, oxygen-free tanks before washing. More controlled than natural anaerobic.

Clean but intensified — brighter acidity with unexpected fruit notes.

Lactic Anaerobic

Anaerobic fermentation with lactic acid bacteria inoculation. Creates creamy, yogurt-like qualities.

Creamy, lactic, smooth body, stone fruit, sometimes cider-like.

Carbonic Maceration

Borrowed from wine. Whole cherries in CO2-flushed tanks. Intracellular fermentation creates unique flavor compounds.

Candy-like sweetness, tropical fruit, bubblegum, sometimes cinnamon.

Critics say it masks terroir. Fans say it reveals new dimensions. Both are right.

Thermal Shock

Alternating hot and cold water during fermentation. Rapid temperature changes create unique chemical reactions.

Intense, complex, sometimes tropical or floral notes not found in traditional processing.

The newest frontier. Results are inconsistent but when it works, it's transcendent.

Koji Fermentation

Aspergillus oryzae (koji mold, used in sake/miso) applied during fermentation. Creates umami and unique enzymatic breakdown.

Umami, savory-sweet, sake-like, completely unique. The weirdest coffee you'll ever taste.

Is it still coffee? Purists say no. Innovators say it's the future.

Swiss Water Decaf

Chemical-free decaffeination using water and osmosis. Green beans soaked in water saturated with coffee solubles (minus caffeine). The gold standard for decaf.

Retains most origin character. Slight muting of acidity and complexity vs. caffeinated.

EA (Sugarcane) Decaf

Ethyl acetate derived from sugarcane dissolves caffeine. Common in Colombian decafs. Adds slight sweetness.

Sweet, slightly muted, retains body well. The tastiest decaf method.

CO2 Decaf

Supercritical CO2 selectively extracts caffeine. Most expensive but best flavor retention.

Closest to original flavor. Minimal impact on acidity and complexity.

Extended Fermentation

Standard washed or natural process with fermentation times extended to 72-120+ hours. Longer contact develops more complex flavors.

Intensified sweetness, wine-like qualities, sometimes funky or boozy.

Double Washed

Two rounds of washing and fermentation. Extra clean cup with maximum clarity.

Ultra-clean, bright, transparent. The purist's choice.