New Anaerobically Processed Coffee (say what?)

If you’ve ever had our cold brew (Low & Slow), Sasquatch, or Deluminator, you’ve already enjoyed coffee from the farm Los Papales in Nicaragua, owned by the Lopez family for over a century. SQ1 has proudly partnered with the Lopez family for the last 4 years, but…wait for it…

…this is the first time we’ve been able to present our customers with a very special micro lot from this family farm. This coffee has been uniquely prepared at the farm using an Anaerobic processing method. If you’re not sure what the heck that means, we’ll break it down for you here. Check out this cross-section of a coffee cherry and keep reading!

“Coffee processing” is the process of removing the coffee seeds (soon-to-be “beans”) from their fruit. Anaerobic processing is a newer, more experimental method that involves removing the cherries (outer skin/some pulp), then placing the beans in a sealed tank held at low temperatures along with the fruit of the coffee cherries (mucilage/pectin).

During processing, all coffee undergoes some level of fermentation, but in this case, as fermentation begins in this sealed environment, the levels of oxygen diminish and the CO2 levels increase, creating pressure in the fermentation tank. This works almost like a re-infusion for the beans as the pressure forces the juices from the cherries into the coffee/parchment, which can yield a coffee with fruity, wine-like qualities.

In this specific coffee, we tasted a tangy acidity similar to cranberry and red grape, supported by a creamy body and a nutty sweetness similar to marzipan.

Click here to purchase some of this delicious coffee while it lasts.