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…]

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…]

Black Angel Estate is located on the Huehuetenango highlands in northern Guatemala, adjacent to the Mexican border, and has practiced natural farming principles since its founding in 1965. The estate uses coffee husks to make organic compost, and relies on volcanic limestone soil and a high-mountain irrigation system to create a unique growing environment. Fully ripe Catuai varietals can reach a sugar content of over 22 Brix under strict harvesting standards, and are meticulously produced through multiple processes including aerobic fermentation, tank fermentation, and slow drying. Front Street Coffee recommends this washed coffee, which presents a complex flavor profile of green tea, whiskey, elderflower, and nectarine preserve, with rich layers and a captivating fermented wine aroma. This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of Black Angel Estate's cultivation philosophy, processing techniques, and flavor characteristics. [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…]

Colombian coffee has always been renowned for its rich sweetness, full-bodied character, and intense aroma, with exceptionally high balance, often accompanied by nutty notes and elegant fruity acidity, and is regarded by many baristas as a premium choice. The Colombian beans selected by Front Street Coffee mainly come from growing regions in the south at elevations above 1,500 meters, such as Huila, Cauca, and Santander, where the coffee produced has delicate berry notes and caramel sweetness. This article will review, one by one, the regional backgrounds, processing methods, and brewing flavors of Front Street's various Colombian single-origin beans, including Huila, Flower Moon Night, Rose Valley, and Hacienda del Cielo Sakura, and will also share Front Street's V60 brewing parameters and techniques, taking you through a comprehensive understanding of the diverse charm of Colombian coffee. [more…]

Colombia, with its low latitude, high altitude, and diverse terrain, has become an important origin for specialty coffee worldwide. Front Street Coffee currently offers seven Colombian single-origin beans, covering Rose Valley, Flower Moon Night, Big Belly Button, Sidra, Hacienda La Esperanza Geisha, decaf beans, and Huila everyday beans. This article will systematically review the characteristics of Colombia's main cultivated varieties—Caturra, Castillo, Pink Bourbon, and Geisha—analyze the terroir conditions of specialty regions such as Huila, Cauca, Nariño, and Tolima, and introduce processing methods including washed, semi-washed, anaerobic natural, and anaerobic enzyme-washed. Finally, it will include Front Street's roasting curves, cupping flavors, and brewing parameter recommendations for each bean. [more…]

Colombia, with its diverse landscapes of low latitude and high altitude, has become an important producing country for specialty coffee. This article systematically reviews the characteristics of the country's main cultivated varieties such as Caturra, Castillo, Pink Bourbon, and Geisha, explains in detail the terroir differences of southern specialty regions such as Huila, Cauca, Nariño, and Tolima, and introduces how processing methods such as washed, semi-washed, anaerobic natural, and anaerobic enzyme-washed shape flavor. The seven Colombian beans offered by Front Street Coffee include Rose Valley, Flower Moon Night, and everyday beans, and the article also provides roasting curves, cupping performance, and V60 three-pour brewing parameters, offering coffee enthusiasts a complete reference from understanding producing regions to practical brewing. [more…]

In coffee tasting, "fermentation" is a term that is often mentioned but easily misunderstood. It does not mean that the coffee contains alcohol; rather, it describes an aroma and mouthfeel reminiscent of ripe fruit or even overripe fruit. Coffee itself is a fermented food, and its flavor is deeply influenced by the way it is processed. This article starts from everyday conversations at Front Street stores and systematically explains the essence and sources of fermenty notes, as well as the differences between aerobic fermentation, anaerobic fermentation, and double anaerobic fermentation. At the same time, we will also explore how the fermentation process shapes coffee's aroma and complexity, and recommend Front Street's natural, honey-processed, and anaerobic-processed coffee beans for different preferences, helping you find the cup that suits you best in your everyday purchases. [more…]

Colombian coffee occupies an important place in the global specialty coffee landscape, known for its balanced, smooth mouthfeel and rich layers of flavor. Starting from the overall characteristics of Colombian coffee, this article systematically sorts out the flavor differences among the main producing regions, the features of various processing methods, and the background of varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Castillo. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will share the specific parameters and brewing technique for V60 pour-over Colombian beans, helping coffee enthusiasts better understand and appreciate the unique charm of Colombian coffee. [more…]

Colombia is the world's third-largest coffee producer. Thanks to the diverse microclimates of the Andes and its high-altitude growing environment, it cultivates coffees with soft fruity acidity, nutty aromas, and excellent balance. From the classic Medellín, Armenia, and Manizales to Huila, Cauca, and Nariño in the south, each producing region presents a distinctly different flavor profile. This article systematically reviews the main characteristics of Colombia's Arabica coffee regions, variety composition, washed and specialty processing methods, and the grading system based on screen size, and also includes brewing parameters and flavor descriptions for several Colombian beans from Front Street Coffee, helping coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of this major South American coffee country. [more…]

Fermentation is a core step in coffee processing that shapes flavor direction. It is driven by microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria, which convert sugars and acids within the coffee cherry into acids and alcohols. Good, controlled fermentation can highlight a coffee's varietal characteristics, while uncontrolled fermentation may bring negative flavors reminiscent of spoilage and spoiled wine. Starting from the basic principles of fermentation, this article sorts out the differences between the two pathways—aerobic and anaerobic—and, around six major factors—coffee cherry quality, cleanliness, oxygen, microorganism and yeast types, time and temperature, and data recording—explains how to improve the consistency and repeatability of fermentation. It also emphasizes that coffee quality is largely fixed during the growth stage, and the role of fermentation is to extract and preserve excellent characteristics rather than to elevate quality out of thin air. The article also introduces Front Street Coffee's ongoing attention to knowledge related to fermentation and processing methods, for the reference of coffee enthusiasts. [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 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…]

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 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…]

The wine process, also known as the controlled fermentation method or lactic/acetic fermentation method, was developed by a team led by Felipe Sardi of the United States, whose members include biological scientists and ecologists. Strict standards are enforced during picking: underripe cherries below 2%, defective beans below 3%, and floating beans below 5%. This processing method is divided into two paths: aerobic acetic fermentation and anaerobic lactic fermentation. The former has a cleaner and brighter acidity with citric notes; the latter has a rounder mouthfeel and higher body, but slightly lower cleanliness, displaying malic and tartaric acid characteristics. Batch consistency is achieved through pH monitoring. Wine-processed green beans are darker in color, with silver skin appearing wine-red or brownish-red. Front Street Coffee's Panama Hartmann is a representative example, and this article shares its pour-over parameters and flavor performance. [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…]

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…]