“Huh? Why does this coffee smell kind of like soy sauce?” a customer asked cautiously, full of confusion, after sniffing the dry aroma of the coffee grounds Front Street had handed over. This was not actually the first time Front Street had received such a question. Besides “soy sauce,” there were also things like “ [more…]

How expensive can a cup of coffee be? From the 90+ experimental batch at $5,000 per kilogram, to the展望 Ruby priced at 1,010 yuan per cup, to the Panamanian Geisha that keeps breaking records at the BOP auction, the price ceiling of the world's top coffee beans has been pushed higher again and again. This article systematically reviews the 2019 edition of the world's most expensive coffee beans ranking, covering rare varieties such as 90+ Company's #227 batch, Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha, Sofia Super Geisha, civet and elephant dung coffee, St. Helena, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Incht Pachamama, and Hawaiian Kona, with detailed explanations of their origin backgrounds, processing methods, and flavor characteristics. At the end, it specially recommends the Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha roasted by Front Street Coffee, which, at a price of 350 yuan per 100 grams, makes high-end Geisha an everyday option and provides enthusiasts with a choice that combines quality and value for money. [more…]

Costa Rican honey-processed coffee has long been famous for its outstanding sweetness, and Hacienda El Mirador is one of the representatives of this style. This micro-estate, located in the Tarrazú region, sits in a valley at an altitude of 1,750 meters and mainly cultivates three varieties: Catuai, Ethíopia 47, and Geisha. The red honey-processed Catuai from Hacienda El Mirador that Front Street Coffee has acquired this time is presented as a medium-light roast and, in cupping, displays rich layers of sweet orange, cream, grapefruit, honey, and black tea. This article will guide you through the specific steps of red honey processing, as well as the cultivated varieties and estate story of Hacienda El Mirador, to explore the mystery of honey-processed sweetness together. [more…]

Many people first encounter specialty coffee through a cup of SOE latte. Luckin once used Huakui SOE to open up the specialty coffee conversation, and when Huakui supply became tight, Colombian Finca El Paraiso coffee beans were pushed to the forefront, becoming the flagship single-origin that took up the baton. The name Finca El Paraiso is poetic in itself—but what does it actually taste like? This article, from Front Street's perspective, sorts through the background of Colombian coffee-growing regions, the terroir characteristics of the Cauca region, and the cultivation and innovation journey of Finca El Paraiso's owner Diego Samuel, with a focus on introducing the variety, processing method, roasting approach, and pour-over parameters of Front Street's Colombian Finca El Paraiso Sakura coffee beans, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the flavor origins and brewing methods of this bean. [more…]

Recently, Luckin Coffee's launch of the Small Black Cup Finca El Paraiso SOE has brought this Colombian estate into the public eye. As early as 2019, Finca El Paraiso made a name for itself in the specialty coffee scene thanks to its special processing methods, with its Sakura Series and Strawberry Series being especially sought after. The Colombia Finca El Paraiso Sakura coffee beans selected by Front Street Coffee use the Castillo variety and a double anaerobic washed process, presenting a unique flavor profile of mugwort, berries, spices, and strawberry jam. This article will guide you through the estate's background, variety characteristics, and processing details, share Front Street's roasting data and brewing suggestions, and finally explore how this bean performs as an SOE, for the reference of coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

The launch of Luckin's Little Black Cup Finca El Paraiso SOE brought this Colombian estate into the public eye. As early as 2019, Finca El Paraiso made a name for itself in the specialty coffee scene with its special processing methods, with its strawberry and cherry blossom series standing out in particular. The Colombian Finca El Paraiso Cherry Blossom coffee beans selected by Front Street Coffee use a double anaerobic washed process, are of the Castillo variety, and in cupping present a complex flavor profile of mugwort, berries, fermented aromas, and strawberry jam. This article will thoroughly break down the whole story of this bean—from the estate's background, variety origins, and processing techniques to the roasting curve and brewing parameters—and explore its performance as an SOE. [more…]

Colombia, as the world's third-largest coffee producer, holds a special position in the international coffee market thanks to government regulations restricting the country to growing only Arabica varieties and the support of NFC institutions. Recently, Luckin Coffee launched its Little Black Cup series, featuring a Finca El Paraiso SOE, bringing this estate in the Cauca region into the spotlight. Finca El Paraiso was founded by Diego Samuel in 2008, starting as a small 2.5-hectare family estate, and rose to fame in a regional competition in 2015 through technological innovation. Front Street Coffee's bean list happens to include a Finca El Paraiso Sakura coffee bean, produced using a double anaerobic washed process, of the Castillo variety. This article will provide a detailed interpretation of this bean, covering its regional background, the principles of its processing method, variety characteristics, roasting approach, and pour-over brewing plan. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's recent launch of the Finca El Paraiso SOE has brought this Colombian coffee into more people's view. Finca El Paraiso is located in Colombia, and its owner, Diego Samuel, has been managing this land since 2008. Through continuous research into the production methods of specialty flavors, he won first place in a regional competition in 2015. Front Street Coffee has also imported the estate's Cherry coffee beans, which use a double anaerobic washed process and are of the Castillo variety. Front Street presents its authentic flavor with a light roast, and in cupping one can perceive notes of mugwort, basil, mint, berries, and osmanthus. This article will guide you through the background of Finca El Paraiso, its processing methods, and variety characteristics, and share Front Street's brewing parameters and extraction insights to help you better savor this unique anaerobically processed coffee. [more…]

In the specialty coffee wave, Colombia's Finca El Paraiso stands out with its unique fermentation processing methods and outstanding flavors. Since taking over in 2008, farm owner Diego Samuel Bermúdez Tapia has continuously innovated microbial fermentation techniques, enabling Finca El Paraiso to set Colombia's record highest bid price in the COE auction. In this article, Front Street Coffee will provide an in-depth analysis of Finca El Paraiso's Sakura coffee beans, covering the origin background, the characteristics of the Castillo variety, the double anaerobic washed processing method, and the specific parameters and flavor performance of pour-over and SOE espresso extraction, giving you a comprehensive understanding of this Colombian specialty coffee that combines strawberry sweetness and tartness with spicy aromas. [more…]

Front Street Coffee has previously offered several Colombian coffee beans, among which the Sakura anaerobic beans from Finca El Paraiso have a unique aroma with a faint hint of mugwort. This article will guide you through the background of Finca El Paraiso, the characteristics of the Castillo variety, and Front Street's cupping and brewing process for this Sakura coffee. In addition, Front Street also evaluated the Strawberry Yogurt double anaerobic washed beans from the same estate and attempted to make them into an SOE. Through this article, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the flavor performance of Finca El Paraiso coffee and Front Street's selection standards. [more…]

Located in the Cauca region of Colombia, Finca El Paraiso is run by Diego Samuel and has focused on specialty coffee exploration since its founding in 2008. Its double anaerobic washed Castillo coffee beans, introduced to China by Front Street Coffee, present fruity sweetness and acidity reminiscent of berries, raspberries, and strawberry jam, accompanied by notes of mugwort and spice, with extremely high flavor distinctiveness. This article will discuss Finca El Paraiso's regional terroir, processing techniques, variety characteristics, as well as Front Street's roasting and brewing recommendations, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the flavor sources and extraction key points of this bean, while providing reusable pour-over parameter references. [more…]

Finca El Paraiso is a family-run coffee estate in Colombia's Cauca region, renowned for its innovative processing methods. Its anaerobic natural coffee beans, with their pronounced fermented character and sweetness, have become a favorite among many coffee enthusiasts. In this article, Front Street Coffee will take you deep into this bean's regional background, varietal characteristics, and processing techniques, and share a complete set of insights ranging from the roasting curve to cupping flavors, all the way to V60 brewing and SOE extraction. Whether you're a pour-over enthusiast or an espresso player, you'll find practical reference parameters and key operating points here. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, there are always some rare varieties that burst into the public eye with their unique flavor expressions. Ombligon is a rising star that has attracted much attention in recent years—it originates from Finca El Diviso in the Huila region of Colombia, and is named for the navel-like shape at the bottom of the fruit. From the 2023 WBC finals to the Chicago WBrC, this bean has frequently appeared on the international competition stage, conquering judges and coffee lovers with its rich and varied juicy feel and fermented wine aroma. This article will give you a comprehensive understanding of the variety origin of Ombligon, its flavor characteristics, the background of Finca El Diviso, and its meticulous double anaerobic natural processing flow, along with Front Street Coffee's pour-over parameter suggestions, so that you can recreate the bean's captivating layers at home. [more…]

Colombia is an important origin for specialty coffee in the world, and the high-altitude terroir of its Cauca region has nurtured many distinctive coffee estates. The Colombia Finca El Paraiso Cherry Blossom coffee beans launched by Front Street Coffee stores use a double anaerobic washed process and the Castillo variety, presenting fruity sweet-and-sour notes reminiscent of berries, raspberries, and strawberry jam, accompanied by a wormwood-like spice aroma, with a uniquely distinctive mouthfeel. This article will take an in-depth look at Finca El Paraiso's producing region environment, variety characteristics, and processing techniques, as well as the roasting and pour-over methods customized by Front Street for this coffee, bringing you a comprehensive understanding of this coffee's flavor code from origin to cup. [more…]

The rare variety Sidra came into the public eye thanks to its selection by two World Barista Championship winners. It originally comes from Pichincha Province, Ecuador, and genetic research shows it is related to Ethiopian native varieties. It is currently grown mainly in Ecuador and Colombia. The anaerobically fermented Sidra lot from Finca El Diviso in the Huila region of Colombia, selected by 2022 WBC champion Anthony Douglas, has further driven the estate and the variety's rising popularity. This article will sort out Sidra's origins, plant characteristics, and flavor profile, and introduce the Sidra coffee beans from Finca El Diviso brought in by Front Street Coffee, along with brewing suggestions, providing a complete reference for coffee lovers. [more…]

Colombia, as the world's third-largest coffee producer and the largest exporter of Arabica, has given rise to numerous specialty coffee regions thanks to the high altitudes, volcanic soils, and diverse microclimates of the Andes. Huila is one of the most representative specialty regions, and Finca El Diviso is located there. The estate rose to fame after the 2022 WBC champion chose its Sidra coffee beans. This article introduces Colombia's coffee-growing conditions, the terroir of the Huila region, the background of Finca El Diviso, and the origins, cultivation characteristics, and Front Street Coffee's brewing performance of the Sidra variety, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the appeal of this rare variety. [more…]

Pacamara is a well-known variety developed in El Salvador, attracting attention in the specialty coffee world for its unique flavor performance. This article focuses on Finca Colombia estate in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range of El Salvador, reviewing its century-long history, variety cultivation, and natural processing methods, and analyzing El Borbollon processing station's practices in quality control and social responsibility. The estate owner Rafael Gerardo Caceres family adheres to traditional varieties and meticulous processing, presenting flavor layers of strawberry, lemonade, and creaminess. Front Street Coffee also recommends paying attention to this estate's natural batch, suitable for pour-over enthusiasts to experience its flavor characteristics. [more…]

Although Colombia is not a large country in terms of land area, it is a major coffee nation whose Arabica coffee production is second only to Brazil worldwide. From Jesuit priests bringing coffee seeds to this land in the 18th century, to the rise of smallholder farming after the Thousand Days' War, and then to the founding of FNC and the advancement of the specialty coffee wave, Colombian coffee has traveled a unique path of development. In Front Street Coffee's everyday bean series, the washed beans from Colombia's Huila region stand out for their rich dark chocolate flavor and soft fruit acidity, while the Cherry Blossom beans from Finca El Paraiso in the Cauca region present full fruit sweetness and fermented notes thanks to the double anaerobic washed process. This article will take you through the historical context, industry landscape, and specific brewing suggestions to give you a comprehensive understanding of the charm of Colombian coffee. [more…]

On the stages of the 2023 WBC finals and the WBrC in Chicago, a Colombian coffee variety named "Ombligon" appeared frequently, drawing industry attention. It comes from Finca El Diviso in the Huila region; its fruit resembles a papaya with a small ring at the bottom, and its name derives precisely from this. Genetic research shows it is related to Ethiopian landraces, yet it is a unique variety formed through natural mutation in Colombia. Finca El Diviso has tailored a processing protocol for Ombligon that includes hot-water flotation, sealed fermentation, and sugar-solution-activated yeast—known in the industry as "thermal shock fermentation"—allowing this bean to display layered fruit flavors reminiscent of grapes, oranges, blueberries, and pineapple juice. In this article, Front Street Coffee will guide you through a comprehensive understanding of Ombligon's varietal characteristics, estate background, processing details, and pour-over recommendations. [more…]

Colombian coffee has long been known as "green gold," celebrated for its rich, full-bodied flavor reminiscent of dark chocolate. As the specialty coffee wave has advanced, this South American producer has revealed a more diverse profile of fruity acidity and floral aromas. This article systematically examines the terroir differences and flavor characteristics of Colombia's three major producing regions—northern, central, and southern—and focuses on the Huila everyday drinking beans and the Cauca El Paraiso Cherry coffee beans selected by Front Street Coffee. From regional grades to varieties and processing methods, from roasting approaches to brewing parameters, we take you through the diverse charm of Colombian coffee, and how El Paraiso estate owner Diego Samuel transformed his family farm into an award-winning specialty benchmark. [more…]