Adventure through three different coffee processes:

Ethiopia Worka / Slow-Dried Natural

The coffee cherries that are delivered to the mill by various producers are sorted by hand to determine ripeness and quality before being placed on raised beds where they dry in the sun for 21 days.

The patient and prolonged drying period is more labor intensive for the operators of the mill, however it yields natural processed coffees that are remarkably clean and complex, while remaining pleasantly fruitful.

Ethiopia Biftu Gudina / Washed

Producers harvest their cherries by hand to determine ripeness before delivering them to one of Biftu Gudina’s two centrally located washing stations. Cherries are then sorted by density before their fruit is removed using a mechanical de-pulper.

Biftu’s washing stations are equipped with state-of-the-art Penagos eco-pulpers, which not only remove the coffee’s outer layers of fruit, but the majority of their mucilage as well. This all but eliminates the need for any sort of wet fermentation, leading to “clean” tasting coffees that possess little to no negative or interfering flavors.

After fruit removal the coffee is soaked in clean water for 3-10 hours, in order to remove any leftover debris. From there the coffee is dried in two phases. First, in shade until the surface moisture has dissipated (roughly 6 hours) and second, under direct sunlight for a period of 10 days. This two-phase approach, prevents coffee from drying too quickly, preserving the flavor profile and extending the coffees’ usable lifespan.

Colombia El Vergel / Anaerobic Natural

This is naturally processed lot that experiences two phases of fermentation. After harvest, coffee cherries are placed into shallow open-air containers and allowed to ferment aerobically (with oxygen) for approximately 14 hours. These containers are very wide, leaving as many cherries exposed to the environment as possible.

The initial oxidation/fermentation phase accelerates the breakdown of the coffee’s fruit material, due to the relatively high ambient temperature. The second phase of fermentation is done anaerobically (without oxygen) to slow down the rate of fermentation, with the goal of imparting more delicate and nuanced fruit flavors, as opposed to the striking fruitfulness that natural coffees are often known for.

After fermentation is complete, the coffee is dried for a period of 12 to 15 days. The staff at El Vergel Estates implement an “intermittent” drying technique that involves moving each lot back and forth between raised bed and large silos. They then "stabilize” the coffee for a period of one and half months in a humidity controlled vault located on site.