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…]

Compared to other conventional processing methods, anaerobically processed coffee beans usually have a more intense and more distinctive flavor (for the most part), because their fermentation tends to go a bit deeper. For example, the Front Street 90+ Eleta on the Front Street Coffee menu has obvious notes of longan, spice, and citrus. [more…]

Anaerobic natural, lactic fermentation, barrel-aged, yeast inoculation—the vocabulary of specialty coffee processing methods has exploded in recent years, and coffee menus increasingly read like a brewery's process manual. These experimental processing methods are not marketing coinages; each one corresponds to a genuine technological innovation. This article maps out the mainstream lineage and examines "flavor alchemy." [more…]

Although the variety of beans displayed at Front Street's store isn't exactly extensive, it's not small either. There are always customers who, unsure how to choose, ask Front Street: "Which bean do you personally prefer?" Recently, customers have often asked Front Street this very question. To be honest, every bean has its own unique character. [more…]

Panama is famous for Geisha coffee, one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Currently, on Front Street Coffee's bean list, the coffees from the Panamanian region are basically all Geisha coffee. Besides the renowned Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda, there is also the Savi from Finca Deborah. [more…]

From the same estate, the same variety, and the same harvested batch of coffee cherries, the flavor in the cup can be as different as two distinct beans—simply because of a different processing method. This is the magic of coffee processing. In the microscopic world, it uses microorganisms and time to perform the alchemy of flavor. The washed method is the oldest mainstream technique, and its logic is "to do [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…]

"Variety" is another consideration some friends use when selecting coffee beans, in addition to flavor and origin. Sidra, transliterated from "Sidra," also known as "Sydra" or "Bourbon Sidra." In Spanish, Sidra means "apple juice." [more…]

The most fascinating thing about cold brew is that it works like a slow-motion projector: the flavor release that hot extraction completes in a few dozen seconds is stretched out over more than ten hours, and the character of every flavor compound is amplified and put on display. Running a set of cold brew comparison experiments with beans processed in different ways lets you directly see how each processing method truly expresses itself at low temperatures. The experiment is set [more…]

The Western Valley is one of Costa Rica's four major specialty coffee regions, known for its eco-friendly growing philosophy and diverse processing methods. This article introduces the characteristics and signature flavors of this region. [more…]

The charm of cold brew lies in how low-temperature slow extraction reshapes flavor—the same beans can taste completely different when hot-brewed versus cold-brewed. Understanding how beans from different origins change under low-temperature extraction gives you a deeper basis for choosing beans for cold brew. Light-roasted beans from African origins show the most noticeable changes in cold brew. Beans with bright acidity when hot-brewed, in cold brew [more…]

When exploring the regions that produce floral and fruity coffee, Ethiopia and Kenya are two origins you simply cannot avoid. These two African regions have distinctly different floral and fruity styles, and once you understand their respective fruity codes, you can precisely match your own taste preferences when choosing beans. Ethiopia is the native birthplace of Arabica, and its floral and fruity notes are characterized by tropical [more…]

Nariño and Cauca are two neighboring emerging specialty coffee regions in southern Colombia. The coffee produced here has, for consecutive years, earned high scores in the Cup of Excellence thanks to its full-bodied tartaric acidity, pronounced fruity notes, and complex layers. [more…]

“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…]

Colombia is one of the few single-origin coffee-producing countries that sells worldwide under its national name, and the complex terrain along its Andes Mountains has created a flavor spectrum from north to south, each with its own character. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee's bean selection, this article sorts out the flavor differences among Colombia's three major growing regions—northern, central, and southern—with a focus on the dark chocolate and caramel notes of Huila's everyday drinking beans, and an in-depth analysis of Finca El Paraiso Sakura, a double anaerobic washed bean with its unique spice aroma and strawberry jam finish. At the end, it includes the V60 pour-over parameters and staged pouring steps used by Front Street Coffee baristas, helping enthusiasts reproduce at home this cup of Colombian flavor that combines floral and fruity acidity with a full-bodied mouthfeel. [more…]

Mogiana and Bahia are two other important specialty coffee regions in Brazil. Mogiana is known for its traditional natural process, while Bahia is a pioneer of specialty coffee experiments in Brazil. This article introduces you to the characteristics of these two regions. [more…]

Behind every distinctive pour-over bean lies the story of its origin estate; understanding these stories adds a layer of meaning beyond flavor when drinking pour-over. From Jamaican Blue Mountain to Indonesian Golden Mandheling, the estate backgrounds of these distinctive beans are themselves important chapters in the world of specialty coffee. The story of Jamaican Blue Mountain is about high-altitude mist and clouds. [more…]

The floral and fruity aromas of coffee are not magic conjured by the roaster, but genes written into the terroir of the producing region and the processing method. Flip through the origin records of the mainstream floral and fruity bean varieties on the market, and you will find that behind every fruity note lies a traceable origin story. The opening volume of the records is Ethiopia. As coffee's [more…]

Front Street often receives many questions like these: "What beans are suitable for a moka pot?", "What beans are suitable for a coffee machine?", or "What beans are suitable for cold brew?"... Many beginners mistakenly believe that a certain extraction method has the most suitable coffee beans, but in reality, regardless of [more…]

After trying a few cold brews, many people ask: with the same method, why do some cold brews taste like fruit juice while others taste like cold bitter water? The answer isn't in the method, it's in the beans. Today, we'll cover cold brew bean selection thoroughly in one go, from three dimensions: origin, processing method, and roast level. Origin determines the flavor baseline. Coffee beans from different origins have flavors [more…]