Nicaragua - Julio Peralta - Natural Anaerobic

Origin: Nicaragua
Region: San Fernando, Nueva Segovia
Farm & Farmer: Finca El Bosque, Julio Peralta
Farm Size & Elevation: 42 Hectares, 1250-1450 MASL
Processing Facility: At Farm
Varietal: Yellow Catuai
Processing Method: Anaerobic Natural
Tasting Notes: Strawberry Shortcake, Banana Bread, Mango

This coffee comes from Finca El Bosque, located in Nueva Segovia, a northern subregion (Department) of Nicaragua near the Honduras border. Operating as a sustainable farm and Rainforest Alliance Certified, Finca El Bosque uses renewable energy and minimal water in the coffee processing. 

Anaerobic Processing is the use of controlled fermentation to manipulate the sugars and acids present in coffee cherries, changing the flavor profile of the bean. All coffee goes through a low level of fermentation (in the cherry, after picking and before processing) but, through using a yeast mother mix, lactobacillus cultures, and other media to soak the cherries in (like a nitrogen soak, or co-fermentation), producers can manipulate the coffee to create a wide variety of flavor compounds. This processing method is constantly evolving as farmers experiment with new techniques taking the coffee to new places, with flavors far beyond what that the original fermentation technique, the Natural Process, produces. The Anaerobic Processing starts, after an initial cleaning and sorting for defects, by sealing the coffee cherry (still in its skin) inside large plastic barrels or Grain-Pro coffee bags full of liquid (or sometimes gasses). A one way valve allows the oxygen to be purged as the coffee cherries release their own gas (CO2), and the coffee is left in that oxygen free environment for anywhere from a few hours up to a week. Once the fermentation is complete the cherries can be either de-pulped, washed, and dried (Washed Anaerobic), or they can be left to dry in the cherry before being sent through a dry mill (i.e. Natural Anaerobic). Keep in mind that the order of operations can be different from farm to farm, and coffee to coffee.

This Natural Anaerobic bean from Nicaragua goes through an initial "float" sorting process to remove any unripe cherries and obvious defects, then it is sealed in airtight tanks which are then submerged in larger water filled pools to maintain a consistent temperature (~15C) through the 72hr fermentation process. After the anerobic fermentation process the cherries are removed from the tanks and laid out in a single layer on raised, partly covered, drying beds. For the next 30 days the cherries will get turned by hand multiple times a day to encourage even drying and prevent any mold formation. Once fully dried the cherries are then sent through a dry mill to remove the outer layers. We enjoy the delicate fermentation that this coffee went through that leads to a sweet cup without the sometimes overwhelming boozy characteristic that can come from a longer, oxygen free, fermentation process.