Carbonic maceration processing, also known as the CM process, falls under the category of anaerobic processing. In 2015, Sasa won the World Barista Championship with this type of coffee bean, bringing this innovative technique into the public eye. The method was inspired by red wine making, achieving fermentation by injecting carbon dioxide into a sealed stainless steel tank. The CM process has two versions, natural and washed, differing in the material fermented inside the tank. This article provides a detailed analysis of its flavor characteristics, processing flow, and key control parameters, along with related product recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The Yirgacheffe Kochere region in Ethiopia is famous for its high-quality coffee beans, and the Red Jade CM Select series launched by Origin Project uses carbon dioxide maceration combined with natural processing, delivering an unforgettable flavor performance. This article will take an in-depth look at the principles of the CM processing method, the terroir characteristics of the Kochere region, and the detailed flavor profile of Red Jade CM natural coffee beans. If you are interested in this bean, Front Street Coffee also has related recommendations. [more…]

The most prestigious event in Panama's specialty coffee scene is undoubtedly the BOP, which attracts numerous renowned estates to compete on the same stage every year. Winners not only gain honor but also reap substantial returns through auctions. Among the many estates, Deborah Estate stands out with its high-altitude terroir in the Volcán region and innovative processing methods. This article will take you into this estate, founded by a former American banker, to understand how its unique terroir conditions shape the flavor of Geisha, and to delve into the principles and charm of the CM carbon dioxide maceration processing method. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products to help you savor the ultimate expression of Panamanian Geisha. [more…]

In recent years, anaerobic fermentation and red wine processing methods have continued to gain popularity in the specialty coffee world. From the promotion by 2015 WBC champion Sasa Sestic to the early explorations of Costa Rican coffee farmers, these processing techniques, which draw on winemaking ideas, have brought coffee rich flavors such as strawberry jam, fermented wine aromas, and tropical fruits. This article systematically reviews the scientific principles of anaerobic fermentation, its essential differences from traditional processing methods, and the specific operational workflow of carbonic maceration. It also combines two representative beans from Front Street Coffee—Colombia Flower Moon Night and Panama Hartmann—to share roasting and brewing parameters, helping coffee lovers gain a deeper understanding of the core logic of this special processing method. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, is home to numerous distinctive growing regions, and Sidamo is one of the most notable among them. This article focuses on the Sidamo Bensa Bongbeguo Guoen Enzyme Honey Process coffee beans launched by Front Street Coffee, providing a systematic overview from origin terroir and processing methods to flavor performance. Bensa Town belongs to the Sidamo growing region and is also included in the Red Cherry Project, and its A.D. processing station enjoys a strong reputation for quality control. These beans use a honey process combined with enzyme fermentation, presenting layers of white flowers, wild ginger flowers, peach, and candied fruit. The article will also introduce the principles of carbonic maceration processing to help readers understand the evolution of modern coffee processing techniques, and will include product information and the sharing philosophy of the Front Street Coffee brand. [more…]

Coffee processing methods have long ceased to be limited to natural, washed, honey, and wet-hulled techniques. In recent years, a method known as CM processing has gradually entered the public eye. CM stands for Carbonic Maceration, translated into Chinese as carbonic maceration processing, and it belongs to the anaerobic fermentation family. It allows coffee to present a richer layering of aromas while inhibiting the production of sharp acetic acid flavors. Since its introduction, this processing method has continued to evolve and has twice helped competitors reach the top of the World Coffee Championship, in 2015 and 2018. This article will systematically sort out the origins and development of CM processing from perspectives such as fermentation principles, microbial action, and fermentation differences among various processing methods, and explore its actual impact on coffee quality and flavor performance. [more…]

2015 WBC Italian Champion Sasa Sestic returns to the competition stage after seven years. This time, he brings an experimental batch of Geisha from Iris Estate, a farm he created together with Jamison Savage, owner of Deborah Estate in Panama, to compete in the 2022 Australian Coffee Brewers Cup. This coffee professional, who has delved deeply into carbonic maceration for many years, chose to hold back in an era when anaerobic fermentation swept the competition scene, studying regional terroir and volatile compounds, and using his original Paragon brewing method and ice-stone aroma-locking technique to showcase the candy-like sweetness of an ultra-long macerated Green Tip Geisha. This article will provide a complete analysis of his brewing approach, staged pouring parameters, and flavor performance, with a recommendation from Front Street Coffee at the end. [more…]

In recent years, the coffee industry has seen the emergence of numerous innovative processing techniques, including anaerobic fermentation, enzyme addition, and carbon dioxide maceration, which have gradually secured a place in the specialty coffee sector. This article focuses on the enzyme-washed processing method, which has polarized opinions since its introduction. Now, Front Street Coffee will re-examine the unique aspects of this technique. Using the Rose Valley from Colombia's Big Tree Estate as a typical case, the article provides a detailed breakdown of the operational procedures and principles of anaerobic double enzyme washing, while also introducing the characteristics of the Caturra variety. It includes Front Street Coffee's roasting curve and brewing parameters, and finally offers a flavor description of this bean, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the origins, development, and tasting key points of this processing method. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, innovative processing techniques are emerging one after another, with methods such as anaerobic fermentation, enzyme-assisted processing, and carbonic maceration gradually coming to the fore. This article focuses on anaerobic enzyme washed processing, a rather controversial method, analyzing it step by step—from the principles of fermentation, to the classic practice at Colombia's Finca El Diviso, to the botanical characteristics of the Caturra variety, and finally to Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing approach. Through the representative product Rose Valley, readers can understand how double anaerobic enzyme washed processing affects coffee's acidity, sweetness, and overall flavor balance, and why it delivers a juice-like mouthfeel. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, typically relies on washed or natural processing, making honey processing already rare, while red wine processing is even more of a rarity. The Ethiopia·Deli that Front Street Coffee is sharing this time comes from the Guji region, uses red wine processing (i.e., carbonic maceration), features the local native variety Heirloom, is grown at an altitude of 2000-2200 meters, and is graded G1. This article will guide you through the terroir conditions of the Guji region, the principles and characteristics of red wine processing, and include Front Street Coffee's roasting curve and pour-over recommendations to help you gain a comprehensive understanding of this uniquely flavored coffee. [more…]

Yirgacheffe is one of Ethiopia's most renowned specialty coffee regions, and the Worka Cooperative is a representative producer within it, famous for its natural-process beans. This article will start from the overall landscape of Ethiopia's nine major coffee regions, outline the administrative scope and flavor standing of the Yirgacheffe region, and then focus on the founding background of the Worka Cooperative and its membership in the YCFCU alliance. At the same time, the article will break down in detail the technical principles of the anaerobic natural process—from the carbonic maceration inspiration drawn from red wine-making, to the effect of oxygen-free fermentation in sealed metal tanks on the sugars and acidity of coffee beans—and finally arrive at the strawberry, magnolia, and small Taiwan mango flavors presented by Front Street Coffee's Yirgacheffe Worka coffee beans, providing coffee lovers with a complete guide to understanding the region and the processing method. [more…]

In recent years, there have been more and more innovative coffee processing methods, and new types of processing such as anaerobic processing, enzyme processing, and carbon dioxide maceration processing have begun to carve out a small niche for themselves. The enzyme-washed processing method that this article will introduce was met with mixed reviews when it first appeared, and now, years later, Front Street will take everyone back to observe this [more…]

Anaerobic coffee has been appearing on coffee bean lists frequently in recent years. Although many people have tried it, they only have a vague understanding of its specific process, and some even develop an aversion to it due to unfamiliarity. In fact, anaerobic processing is not as complicated as imagined. In most cases, it simply adds an extra anaerobic fermentation step before traditional natural or washed processing. The depth of fermentation is precisely the key that determines the direction of coffee flavor. From the perspective of Front Street, this article sorts out the basic principles of anaerobic processing, common methods, and their connection with traditional processing. Combined with three specific beans, it helps readers understand the flavor differences brought by different anaerobic treatments, so they can find the cup that suits their taste. [more…]

In recent years, the coffee consumer market has continued to expand, and various novel green bean processing methods have emerged one after another. The industry habitually refers to them collectively as special processing methods. These techniques give coffee a more diverse and distinctly individual flavor expression, and also bring richer layers of mouthfeel, thus winning the favor of a large number of enthusiasts. At present, the more mainstream special processing methods include anaerobic washed or natural, enzyme washed, lactic acid fermentation, and barrel-aged processing, among others. Among them, anaerobic fermentation has especially high exposure. This trend can be traced back to 2015, when the WBC World Barista Championship winner that year, Sasa Sestic from Australia, brought anaerobic fermentation processing into the public eye, and discussions around the fermented feel of coffee have not ceased to this day. This article will sort out the development of anaerobic processing, analyze the specific process of anaerobic natural, and introduce anaerobic-processed coffee beans such as Santa Vini currently sold by Front Street. [more…]

Anaerobic Fermentation has been very popular in the coffee world in recent years, mainly because Sasa Sestic, the Australian competitor who won the 2015 WBC, started this trend, and even in 2018 WB [more…]

Anaerobic fermentation processing is a green bean processing technology that has attracted much attention in the coffee industry in recent years. Since Sasa Sestic, the 2015 WBC champion, brought it to the forefront, it has quickly swept through the specialty coffee world. Inspired by red wine-making techniques, this processing method injects carbon dioxide into a sealed container to expel oxygen, creating an oxygen-free environment that allows precise control of the fermentation process, giving coffee beans higher sweetness and more unique flavor layers. As processing technologies continue to evolve, experimental methods such as anaerobic natural, anaerobic washed, and double anaerobic have emerged one after another, each presenting distinctly different flavor expressions. This article will systematically sort out the principles and origins of anaerobic fermentation, and analyze one by one the process steps and flavor characteristics of these three common anaerobic processing methods, while also explaining them in conjunction with specific Front Street Coffee bean offerings. [more…]

In recent years, traditional coffee processing methods have become increasingly rare, and even premium producing regions such as Ethiopia and Panama Geisha have begun to embrace special processing methods. From the emergence of anaerobic honey processing in 2014 to five of the top six finishers at the 2018 WBC using anaerobic fermented beans, special processing methods rapidly swept the market. Among them, "anaerobic enzyme processing" has sparked the most discussion—what exactly are enzymes? Are they the same thing as flavored beans? Starting from the nature of enzymes and the background of the rise of special processing methods, and incorporating the views of WBC champion Sasa, this article clarifies the boundary between flavored coffee and fermented flavors, helping coffee enthusiasts view this new wave of processing methods rationally. [more…]

When tasting specialty coffee, vision, smell, and taste must work in concert, and the core of discerning flavors lies in long-term training and accumulated memory. This article systematically introduces how to build a personal taste memory bank through everyday scent memory, blind smelling exercises, and the aid of aroma vials, and uses Panama Hartmann Estate red wine process coffee as an example to analyze, layer by layer, the specific training methods for dry aroma, wet aroma, the finish, and the aftertaste. It also includes practical advice from Front Street Coffee to help coffee lovers sharpen their sensory acuity in practice and truly taste the rich layers of coffee. [more…]

The rum barrel-fermented washed beans from Front Street Coffee's San Jose estate in Colombia are a highly representative example of the low-temperature anaerobic fermentation trend in recent years. They originate from a bold idea by the estate's owner, Monsalve Botero—placing green coffee beans into oak barrels for low-temperature fermentation. These beans use Supremo-grade Castillo and Naranjal varieties, which are fermented in barrels after depulping, then washed and dried on raised beds, revealing flavors of rum, cantaloupe, and dark chocolate. This article will review the origins of the processing method, the characteristics of the green beans, their unique performance in roasting and brewing, and explore the possible causes behind their rich vinous notes. [more…]

Many people assume that only special processes like anaerobic fermentation involve fermentation, but in reality, conventional methods such as natural, washed, and honey processing are equally dependent on fermentation. Fermentation is the process by which microorganisms break down sugars and produce heat and compounds in the presence or absence of oxygen. Coffee cherries are rich in moisture and sugars, so fermentation begins the moment they are picked. Different processing methods correspond to aerobic or anaerobic fermentation pathways, and the duration and intensity of fermentation directly shape the flavor profile of the coffee—prolonged fermentation brings rich layers of dried fruit and fruit preserves, while short fermentation yields bright acidity and a clean mouthfeel. Properly controlled fermentation enhances quality, but once it becomes unbalanced, it produces irreversible negative flavors such as moldiness and rotten fruit. [more…]