Costa Rica - Jaguar Anaerobic

Region: Tarrazu
Producer: Cordillera Del Jaguar
Altitude: 1200 - 1750 masl
Variety: Caturra, Catuai
Process: Anaerobic Honey
Notes: Almond, Apricot, Hibiscus

This month’s coffee is a curated blend of two unique coffee processes, Anaerobic and Honey, that when combined create a deliciously balanced and flavorful coffee. This coffee takes a journey from bean to cup intended to produce flavors which focus on sweetness and body, representing both these processes beautifully.

For the initial Anaerobic process, farmers select and handpick mature coffee cherries with a higher sugar content, which is necessary for the fermentation process that occurs next.

At the mill, the coffee is then depulped and put in air-tight, stainless-steel tanks while keeping the mucilage, which is the next layer of the coffee cherry. The absence of oxygen stimulates this anaerobic fermentation process, developing a unique series of acids, such as lactic and malic, which results in an incredibly complex flavor. 

This process is unique as it is only recently developed and implemented in the coffee industry; it draws inspiration from the wine industry's long use of this fermentation process.

After the Anaerobic fermentation process finishes, the honey process comes in. The Honey processing method started in Costa Rica but has since spread to other countries across the globe. Once removed from the fermentation tanks, the cherries with some or all of the mucilage left on are dried, not washed, giving the coffee a sweeter profile than washed coffees.