Tanzania Micro Lot (Experimental Process)

This micro lot from Neel and Kavita Vohora brings a lot to the table! The Vohora siblings are truly a dynamic duo and have developed a unique processing method which they call “Citric Carbonic”. It is fermented once in a sealed, carbon dioxide rich environment with citric acid for 2 to 4 days before being flushed, then fermented again and fully washed conventionally. Again, there’s a lot going on in this experimental processing so let’s break it down piece by piece.

First, this coffee is fermented using carbonic maceration. This method is borrowed from the wine industry and involves placing the coffee cherries in sealed containers for fermentation. Next, carbon dioxide is injected into the chambers. Much like other forms of anaerobic fermentation, this CO2 rich environment activates different microbes than say, an oxygen rich environment.

The difference between this and anaerobic is that the CO2 forces the fermentation to occur inside the actual coffee cherries, rather than just on their exterior. Then these microbes go to work breaking down, intensifying and releasing tasty flavor compounds in the coffee cherry fruit. Since everything is in a sealed environment and coffee beans are very porous, those tasty compounds get absorbed by the beans for us to enjoy later.

The Vohora siblings add one additional ingredient to this happy slurry: citric acid. This citric acid is found naturally in, you guessed it, citrus fruits like lemon, orange and lime. This concept of “co-fermenting” coffee cherries with other natural ingredients is a growing and slightly controversial trend.

When done correctly and especially in an enclosed environment like an airtight chamber (a la this coffee), the added ingredient imparts a TON of flavor to the coffee beans. This is just like how the flavors from the coffee cherry are imparted to the beans as it’s broken down due to fermentation or drying if the coffee is natural processed.

So while some may argue it’s “cheating” by adding flavor to the coffee, it’s no different than what’s happening in all forms of coffee processing. We figure it is another cool innovation to coffee processing and we love trying new things, especially when the results are this tasty! And don’t worry, all that citric acid gets washed off before the beans are even removed from the coffee cherries so when you roast this coffee, it’s just coffee in your roaster.

Speaking of tasty, no matter which side of the debate you land on co-fermentation, I really recommend giving this coffee a try because it’s a treat! You can really taste the intent behind the processing, especially after letting it rest for about a week. Since the remainder of the processing was finished fully washed, we thought the flavor would be more subtle, but it is actually quite bold! In fact, despite being a huge fan of naturals, I think a natural version would be too intense.

The biggest note we got was citrus in the form of orange. But not orange juice, more like orangeade, like the sports drink, but without the artificial flavor! Next up was ripe raspberry along with tangy pineapple and fresh kiwi finished with lovely hibiscus. Despite the intense fermentation, this coffee is exceptionally clean with no fermenty or vinegary flavors present. Refreshing, silky smooth and sweet! Definitely a must try!