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…]

Front Street Coffee presents the naturally processed Sidamo Shakiso, a single-origin Ethiopian bean with rich layers of flavor. This article will start from the background of the producing region, the cooperative's growing conditions, green bean characteristics, and roasting performance to systematically outline the flavor profile of this bean, and introduce the operation mechanism of the Red Cherry Project that drives quality improvement. By understanding the high-altitude growing environment of the Kebado Cooperative, the Red Cherry Project's strict selection standards and support system, readers can more fully understand why this naturally processed bean can present a complex expression interwoven with berries, tropical fruits, fermented wine aromas, and cocoa tea notes, as well as its adaptability across light, medium, and dark roast levels. [more…]

As demand for autumn and winter drinks heats up, Tea Baidao has launched a milk baijiu series, including two products: milk baijiu oolong and milk baijiu mochi milk green. The official emphasis is on traditional fermentation techniques, 0 flavorings and no additives, but consumers who tried them reported that they were too sweet, the alcohol taste was too light, and some even described the aroma as strange. This article reviews the new product formulas, process characteristics and market response, and looks back at Tea Baidao's previous attempts at alcoholic drinks in cooperation with Luzhou Laojiao. For coffee lovers, Front Street Coffee has always paid attention to beverage innovation trends, and this article also provides observations from the perspective of flavor balance. [more…]

In recent years, coffee processing methods have continuously evolved, from early anaerobic fermentation to red wine processing, and now to oak barrel fermentation, with endless innovative techniques making coffee flavors increasingly diverse. The Honduras Litchi Orchid coffee beans launched by Front Street Coffee are produced using a combination of fine washing and brandy barrel fermentation, originating from the Moca Estate in the Marcala region, at an altitude of 1,500-1,700 meters, with varieties of Caturra and Catuai. This bean shares similarities with the same brand's Sherry coffee beans, with the difference being that Sherry uses whiskey barrels, while Litchi Orchid selects brandy oak barrels. The fermented beans carry a soft lychee and honey sweetness, while integrating brandy notes and oak aroma. This article will provide a detailed introduction to this bean's processing method, flavor performance, and answer the question of whether wine-flavored coffee beans contain alcohol. [more…]

The captivating wine aroma in Front Street Coffee's Americano has sparked considerable interest among many customers in Front Street's Sherry coffee beans. This lot from the Moca Estate in Honduras is fermented in whisky sherry casks, giving the coffee a distinctive fermented wine aroma and a creamy mouthfeel. This article will provide a systematic overview for coffee lovers, covering the background of Honduras's coffee industry, its grading system, the principles of sherry cask processing, and the complete brewing parameters for Front Street's Sherry coffee beans. If you also want to recreate that hint of wine charm in Front Street's Sunflower Warm Sun blend at home, why not give Front Street's brewing method a try. [more…]

Recently, Manner launched a seasonal limited-edition Dark Chocolate Latte, officially claiming it uses a red wine natural SOE paired with rich dark chocolate to deliver a delicate, sweet finish. However, after the new product hit the shelves, many consumers reported that the taste was vastly different from the marketing: the dark chocolate flavor was lacking, and instead there was a strange fermented taste resembling fermented bean curd or rotten fruit, sparking heated discussion. Some bluntly said they poured it out after two sips and urged the brand to discontinue it. Longtime fans pointed out that this new product is actually an upgraded version of last year's Raw Chocolate Latte, which was already mocked for a fermented bean curd taste last year. Still, some customers were drawn to its unique flavor, comparing it to liqueur chocolates. This article walks you through the detailed feedback on this controversial new product and the reasons behind it. [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…]

The rich, lingering fermented wine aroma of cold brew coffee often leads people to mistakenly believe that alcohol has been added to it, but this is not the case. The source of this unique flavor is closely related to the cold brew extraction method and the subsequent low-temperature aging process. Front Street Coffee will guide you through the cold brew coffee-making process: from key parameters such as the coffee-to-water ratio and drip speed, to why it cannot be drunk immediately after extraction, how low-temperature aging gives coffee its wine aroma, and the precautions to take during preparation and storage. If you also want to recreate at home a cup of clean, smooth cold brew interwoven with fruity and wine aromas, you might as well follow Front Street's approach step by step, from bean selection to aging. [more…]

Wine-aroma coffee beans have gained great popularity in recent years. Many people believe that barrel fermentation technology originated in Honduras, but in fact, Finca San Jose in Colombia is the true pioneer of this process. This article will guide you through an in-depth understanding of how Finca San Jose cleverly combines rum oak barrels with green coffee beans—from the selection of the Castillo variety, the details of refined washed processing and three-month barrel fermentation, to Front Street Coffee's roasting curve and brewing parameters—fully revealing the flavor secrets of this rum barrel-fermented coffee. Whether you are curious about its historical origins or want to replicate a cup of wine-aroma pour-over, you will find detailed answers here. [more…]

Have you ever walked into a specialty coffee shop, faced the dazzling array of single-origin coffees on the menu, and felt at a loss where to begin? Single-origin coffee refers to coffee made from beans sourced from a single origin, and it can be traced back to a specific region or even estate. This article will systematically sort through the representative single-origin coffees from major producing regions such as Africa, Central and South America, and Asia, introduce Front Street Coffee's rigorous process from roasting curve testing to cupping selection, and present the flavor descriptions of coffee beans from each region one by one, helping you find the cup that best suits your taste. [more…]

The unique wine-like aroma and bouquet of cold drip coffee often lead people to mistakenly think that alcohol has been added, but in fact this comes entirely from its production method and low-temperature aging process. However, freshly dripped cold drip coffee often tastes thin or even astringent, and needs to be aged in the refrigerator to reveal a smooth, rich flavor. So how long exactly should cold drip coffee be left before drinking? Why does it develop a wine-like flavor after being stored for a long time? And why can it not be stored indefinitely? Starting from Front Street's production experience, this article explains in detail the principles behind the changes in cold drip coffee from production to aging, and from astringency to vinous aroma, and gives recommended drinking periods to help you better enjoy this cup of slow-brewed coffee. [more…]

Ice drip coffee is known for its clean, full-bodied, smooth taste and rich fermented wine aroma, but many people mistakenly think it contains alcohol when they first encounter it. In fact, ice drip is a type of cold brew coffee, made by extracting drop by drop with ice water over a long period. Freshly made ice drip is not at its best for drinking; it needs low-temperature aging in the refrigerator to reveal its full fruity feel and wine aroma. Based on Front Street Coffee's production practice, this article explains in detail the coffee-to-water ratio, drip rate, aging time, and storage recommendations for ice drip, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the flavor sources and key production points of ice drip coffee. [more…]

Honduran coffee has performed impressively in the international market in recent years, and among them, Sherry coffee beans stand out with their distinctive whiskey barrel fermentation process, presenting a pronounced fermented wine aroma and a creamy mouthfeel. This article begins with Front Street Honduras Sherry coffee beans, reviews the origin background and grading system of Honduran coffee, explains in detail how the barrel fermentation process imparts wine-like characteristics to the coffee beans, and provides the standard pour-over parameters and flavor description recommended by Front Street baristas. Whether you are drawn by the wine aroma in Front Street Americano or want to gain a deeper understanding of the ins and outs of barrel-fermented coffee, this article can provide complete reference information. [more…]

Although Honduras is a latecomer to the Central American coffee industry, it overtook Guatemala in production in 2011, with Caturra and Catuai as the main Arabica varieties. What truly brought Honduran coffee into the public eye, however, is the distinctive vanilla cream and fermented wine aroma of Front Street Coffee's Sherry coffee beans. These beans come from the Masaguara Mocha estate, where they undergo a meticulous washed process, are then placed in Sherry whiskey barrels for low-temperature fermentation, and finally dried in the shade. Front Street Coffee also offers clear recommendations for roasting and brewing: a medium roast, 90°C water temperature, V60 dripper, and a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, allowing the wine aroma and sweetness to be fully released. This article will outline the origins and characteristics of Honduras's main coffee varieties, and provide a detailed introduction to the processing methods, flavor sources, and various ways of enjoying Sherry coffee beans, including pour-over and espresso blends. [more…]

Cold brew coffee, with its non-bitter, low-acid, mellow character, plus the unique fermented note brought by low-temperature aging, has become a favorite among many coffee lovers in summer. But not all coffee beans are suitable for cold brew—different origins, processing methods, and roast levels will make the same bean present a completely different profile from hot brewing. At Front Street Coffee, when making cold brew day to day, we carefully select beans with appealing flavors that suit cold brew. This article compiles the bean-selection approaches and specific recommendations for four cold brew styles, including rich fruity, fresh floral-fruity, full-bodied and deep, and subtly boozy, and also answers whether popular varieties such as Huakui and Geisha can be used to make cold brew. [more…]

Winey coffees have attracted much attention in recent years. Front Street Coffee has three beans with winey notes, among which Sherry and Lychee Orchid are well known, but the origin of barrel fermentation actually lies in the San Jose Estate in Colombia. This article provides a complete breakdown of Front Street Colombia Rum Barrel Fermented Coffee, from the producing region, estate story, and processing method to roasting and brewing. The San Jose Estate is located in the Caldas region at an altitude of 1750 meters, uses the Castillo variety, and after meticulous washing, is placed in aged rum oak barrels for low-temperature fermentation for three months. The cup profile presents notes of rum truffle, rum, tropical fruit, and maple syrup. The article also provides V60 staged extraction parameters and measured taste results, making it suitable for coffee enthusiasts who want to understand the principles of barrel fermentation and brewing methods. [more…]

The highly sought-after "Front Street San Jose Estate Rum Barrel Fermented" coffee beans at the coffee market greet you with a rich rum aroma the moment you open the bag. Where exactly does this unique boozy scent come from? Starting from the terroir conditions of San Jose Estate in Caldas Province, Colombia, this article tells how the estate owner, inspired by rum aging, conceived the idea in 2013 of putting green coffee beans into oak barrels. After years of experimentation, the low-temperature rum barrel fermentation process was established in 2017, using the Castillo variety, and involving fully washed processing, 20-hour fermentation, resting in oak barrels aged over 8 years for three months, and daily tumbling, so the beans evenly absorb the rum aroma. These beans once won silver as a blend in the Cappuccino category at the 2019 RASV Australian International Coffee Roasting Competition. Suitable for pour-over, espresso, ice drip, or cold brew, it is a versatile specialty choice recommended by Front Street. [more…]

At Hacienda Canet in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica, a musician-series coffee bean named Bach is unforgettable for its rich, solid fermented flavor. This bean uses a unique raisin honey process, retaining 100% mucilage with zero water processing, and combined with the high-altitude growing advantages of the Yellow Catuai variety, it presents a wine-like fermented sensation, the sweet-tartness of red berries, and rose floral notes. Through cupping and brewing, Front Street Coffee found that from dry aroma to aftertaste, the fermented scent of ripe grapes runs throughout, while a medium-light roast better preserves the captivating floral aroma and high sweetness. This article will deeply analyze the origin background, processing method, roasting curve, and brewing parameters of Bach coffee beans, taking you to appreciate the complete character of this "Air on the G String in the mouth." [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…]

Cold brew coffee, with its refreshingly smooth texture and complex, layered flavors, has become a favorite among coffee lovers in summer. But when it comes to making and storing cold brew, many people still have questions: Does it need to be sealed after extraction is complete? Why does it give off a fermented aroma reminiscent of wine after sitting in the refrigerator overnight? Starting from the principles of low-temperature extraction, this article will analyze the oxidation process of cold brew coffee and the necessity of sealed fermentation, and share Front Street Coffee's cold brew parameters, detailed steps, and how to create a fruit-forward cold brew recipe through a two-bean blend, helping you make a cup of cold brew with full flavor and a pronounced sweet aftertaste. [more…]