Variable 02
Between cherry and green bean there's a decision that changes the coffee more than most people expect. Take the same lot from the same farm in the same year, split it three ways, and you'll get three coffees that don't taste related.
One farm, three routes
The whole cherry dries in the sun on raised beds for two to four weeks. The seed ferments inside its own fruit.
Heavy berry, jam, and wine. Bigger body, softer acidity, and a much higher risk of tasting like a compost heap if done badly.
Common in — Ethiopia, Brazil, experimental lots everywhere
Skin removed, some mucilage left on during drying. Yellow, red, or black honey depending on how much stays.
Washed structure with natural sweetness. Rounder mouthfeel, syrupy sugars, acidity still intact.
Common in — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama
Fruit is pulped off within hours, the sticky mucilage fermented away in tanks, then the seed is dried bare.
Maximum clarity. You taste the bean and the farm, with acidity front and center and very little fermentation character.
Common in — Kenya, Colombia, most of Central America