The flavor of coffee depends to a large extent on how the green beans are processed. Natural, washed, and honey processing, as the three classic methods, each present distinctly different flavor directions. In addition, enzyme processing and anaerobic fermentation have gradually entered the public eye in recent years, adding more possibilities to coffee. Front Street Coffee believes that using such fermentation techniques in moderation to create distinctive flavors is worthy of recognition, but if they are used to mask defects in the coffee beans themselves, that deviates from the original purpose of the processing method. This article will systematically sort out the specific procedures and flavor characteristics of these processing methods, and combine them with representative products on the Front Street coffee list to help coffee lovers build a clearer understanding. [more…]

The processing method of coffee beans directly determines the flavor direction of the final cup. Washed, natural, and honey—the three classic processes—each have different fermentation paths and flavor expressions. The enzyme processing method that has emerged in recent years introduces specific microbial strains for anaerobic fermentation on the basis of washed processing, in order to create more distinctive flavors. How exactly is this processing method carried out? And what are the essential differences between it and the three traditional processing methods? This article will break down the process details of each method one by one, and combine them with a number of representative beans from Front Street Coffee to help readers build a systematic understanding of coffee processing methods. [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…]

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…]

In recent years, peach oolong tea-flavored beverages have become hugely popular, and many coffee lovers are on the hunt for coffee beans with a juicy peach aroma. The Colombia Rose Valley launched by Front Street Coffee is exactly such a bean—one sniff and you're smitten. It comes from Finca El Arbol in the Santander region of Colombia, uses an anaerobic double enzyme washed process, and is of the Caturra variety. This article provides a comprehensive introduction to this bean's regional background, the estate's processing methods, variety characteristics, Front Street's roasting records and cupping performance, and offers grind size calibration, water temperature control, and three-pour brewing suggestions specifically for anaerobic beans, helping you fully unlock its captivating flavors of peach, rose, and liqueur chocolate. [more…]

This article focuses on the Dota Goddess Estate in Costa Rica's Tarrazú region, offering an in-depth analysis of the unique charm of its Geisha variety. From the terroir of the origin, the estate's history, to the anaerobic enzyme washed processing method, and on to green bean analysis, roasting curves, and cupping and brewing, it presents the complete flavor profile of this coffee. The Front Street Coffee roaster adopts a high-temperature fast-roast strategy to highlight its rose aroma, lemon, and honey sweetness. For pour-over, a V60 dripper is recommended, using staged extraction, ultimately yielding a cup of refreshing, sweet fruit tea. [more…]

Front Street Rose Valley coffee beans have become a favorite among many coffee lovers thanks to their unique flavors of rose, peach, and liqueur chocolate. Where exactly does this bean's alluring aroma come from? The answer lies in the double anaerobic enzyme washed processing method it uses. This article will break down each stage of this processing method step by step, from the coffee cherry's first anaerobic fermentation to the coffee bean's second enzyme anaerobic stage, and then to the drying stage, helping readers understand the principles behind the formation of these special flavors. At the same time, in response to the brewing difficulties of this type of anaerobically processed coffee bean, the article will also share practical techniques such as grind size calibration, water temperature control, bloom assessment, and three-pour brewing, so that you can consistently bring out the rich fruity aroma and sweetness of Front Street Rose Valley at home. [more…]

Front Street Coffee's Rose Valley, a Colombian coffee bean, is unforgettable from the first sip thanks to its distinct peach flavor, and its unique taste comes from a double anaerobic enzyme wash processing method. However, getting the ideal result when brewing this type of anaerobic bean is no simple task—the grind setting, water temperature, and pouring rhythm all need targeted adjustments. This article starts with the principles of anaerobic fermentation and, combined with Front Street's hands-on experience, breaks down the key points of brewing Rose Valley by hand one by one, including how to calibrate the grind size with a sieve, why the water temperature should be controlled at 90-91°C, and the specific parameters for a three-stage pour, helping you consistently reproduce that cup of Rose Valley with floral notes and fruity sweetness. [more…]

While classic methods like washed, natural, and honey processing are already widely known, emerging techniques such as anaerobic, enzyme-assisted, and carbonic maceration are appearing one after another, opening up new possibilities for coffee flavor. These processing methods often give coffee beans a distinctive flavor profile, sparking curiosity about the principles and operations behind them. This article focuses on the key step of anaerobia, explaining how it builds upon traditional processing methods and, through the action of microorganisms in an oxygen-deprived environment, converts sugars into lactic acid, acetic acid, and aromatic compounds such as esters and aldehydes, thereby creating special experiences like yogurt-like acidity. The article also combines tasting impressions of the Front Street Coffee Deborah Estate Savage Series Anaerobic Natural Geisha to guide you from theory to practice in fully understanding the characteristics and processing flow of anaerobically fermented coffee beans. [more…]

Coffee enthusiasts' taste demands are becoming increasingly refined. The original terroir flavors produced by traditional washed and natural processing methods can no longer satisfy diverse expectations, and various specialty processing methods have emerged as a result. From the perspective of Front Street, this article systematically reviews the principles and classifications of anaerobic fermentation processing, compares the differences between natural fermentation and temperature-controlled fermentation, and provides an in-depth analysis of three processing workflows: anaerobic natural, anaerobic washed, and anaerobic enzyme-washed. At the same time, using Front Street Huayueye coffee beans from the Huila region of Colombia and Rose Valley coffee beans from Big Tree Estate as examples, it presents a complete approach from green bean processing to roasting curve selection, and then to pour-over parameter development, helping readers understand how specialty processing methods shape the flavors in the cup. [more…]

In southern Tolima, Colombia, at an altitude of 1,800 to 2,100 meters, Finca Monteverde has successfully cultivated delicate varieties such as Geisha, WushWush, SL-28, and Borbon Sidra, thanks to its exceptional sunlight, rainfall, and water source near the Rio Blanco. Among them, WushWush originated in the Kaffa forest of Ethiopia and has flourished since being introduced to Colombia thirty years ago. In this article, Front Street Coffee will take you deeper into the terroir of Finca Monteverde, the story of the WushWush variety, and the stunning flavors of rose, fennel leaf, and purple grape woven together by a honey anaerobic natural process. [more…]

Front Street Colombia Rose Valley has become a highly talked-about coffee on the bean list thanks to its signature flavors of peach, cranberry, liqueur chocolate, and rose florals. Where exactly does its intense aroma come from? Is it a flavored bean? This article traces the real causes of Rose Valley's flavor step by step, from the volcanic soil of the Santander growing region and the characteristics of the Caturra variety to the anaerobic enzyme washed processing method that rose to prominence after 2014, and includes Front Street Coffee's in-store V60 brewing parameters and three-pour extraction steps to help you recreate at home that cup combining berry-like acidity with caramel sweetness. [more…]

Coffee processing methods are advancing rapidly, with new techniques such as anaerobic fermentation, enzyme-assisted processing, and barrel-aging constantly emerging. However, traditional natural, washed, and the intermediate honey process remain the mainstream. The honey process originated in Costa Rica, where the high-altitude terrain and rainfall conditions prompted locals to draw on Brazil's pulped natural method and refine it, resulting in graded categories such as yellow honey, red honey, black honey, and white honey, which retain different proportions of mucilage. In recent years, raisin honey processing has emerged, and the Costa Rica Mirazu Estate Strawberry Candy introduced by Front Street Coffee is a prime example. This article will trace the development and technical details of the honey process, and introduce this bean—a blend of Geisha, Ethiopian heirloom ET47, SL28, and MAICO—which, when brewed with a V60 at a 1:15 ratio, presents flavors of strawberry, raisin, candy, nuts, and creamy honey. [more…]

In recent years, coffee with floral and fruity notes has become increasingly popular, and an Ethiopian bean with a white peach oolong tea character is especially refreshing. It comes from Ana Sora in the Guji zone of Sidama, a specialty coffee stronghold that was independently demarcated in 2010 and has won numerous awards in recent years. Dorothy on Front Street Coffee's bean list comes from here, processed using enzyme-washed method, at an altitude of 1,900 to 2,350 meters. This article will walk you through the background of Ana Sora Estate, its processing methods, and how to brew that honey-sweet white peach oolong with a Hario V60. [more…]

In recent years, an increasing number of specialty green coffee beans processed with special processing methods have appeared on the specialty coffee market. Is this really something to be happy about? Front Street Coffee believes that special processing methods were originally intended to give the flavor of coffee beans from a certain producing region more distinctiveness. However, as their use has continued to expand, some processing methods today seem to be more about masking the defects of the coffee beans themselves and then selling them at a high price. In fact, all special processing methods have evolved around the three traditional methods: washed, natural, and honey. This article will systematically sort out the most common types of special processing methods on the market, including anaerobic fermentation, barrel fermentation, and red wine processing, and, combined with Front Street Coffee's cupping experience and specific products, analyze their processing procedures and flavor characteristics. [more…]

Nowadays, the names of coffee processing methods are becoming more and more varied, from anaerobic natural to low-temperature slow anaerobic washed, from black honey and red honey to enzyme washed, making one dazzled. Behind this complexity, there are actually two main threads: the birth of early processing methods was the result of the producing region's environment forcing it—for example, Indonesia's humid and rainy climate gave rise to washed and wet-hulled methods; while the evolution of contemporary processing methods stems from the consumer market's dual pursuit of flavor expression and traceability information. This article will sort out the evolution from natural, washed to honey processing and anaerobic fermentation, analyze how different processing techniques affect coffee flavor, and reveal the deeper reasons behind the increasingly refined naming of processing methods. [more…]

Caturra is a highly economically valuable natural mutation within the Bourbon lineage. With advantages such as a small plant size, suitability for dense planting, and no need for shade, it has become an important pillar of coffee-growing regions in Central America. In this article, from the perspective of Front Street Coffee, we will sort out the historical origins and variety characteristics of Caturra, and use its Colombian passion fruit enzyme washed Purple Caturra as an example to introduce the Huila region, the processing methods and brewing suggestions of Finca Monteblanco, helping coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of the unique charm of this variety. [more…]

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has always held an important place in the global specialty coffee landscape, thanks to its exceptional heirloom variety resources and diverse processing methods. Located in the Guji region, the Annasola Estate, with its high-altitude growing environment of 1,900 to 2,350 meters and innovative enzyme-washed processing method, has crafted these Dorothea coffee beans that combine the flavors of lemon, peach, plum, and oolong tea. This article will guide you through an in-depth understanding of the geographical advantages of the Guji region, the background story of the Annasola Estate, and Front Street Coffee's roasting analysis and brewing suggestions for these beans, fully presenting their unique flavor charm. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, has nurtured many stunning regions and flavors. Among them, the Guji region, after gaining independence from Sidamo in 2010, rose rapidly with champion beans such as Huakui and Huaxu, becoming a focal point in the specialty coffee world. The "Dorothy" recently launched by Front Street Coffee comes from the Anasora Estate in the Guji region, using an enzyme-washed processing method, presenting rich notes of white peach, jasmine, and oolong tea. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of this coffee's regional background, estate story, processing techniques, and brewing parameters, offering a comprehensive understanding of this peach oolong-flavored coffee that overturns the traditional Ethiopian impression. [more…]

Honey processing is a coffee processing method that falls between natural and washed processing. Its name comes from the Spanish word "Miel" (honey), and it was first popularized by Costa Rica. By retaining different proportions of mucilage, honey processing gives coffee a full-bodied sweetness and bright acidity while greatly reducing water usage. Depending on how much mucilage remains, it is further divided into white honey, yellow honey, red honey, black honey, and other types, each differing in drying time, turning frequency, and flavor expression. This article will systematically sort out the origin, processing principles, and classification standards of honey processing, and introduce the Guatemala New Oriental Geisha coffee beans recommended by Front Street Coffee. [more…]