Specialty coffee · Worth knowing

This lot of Centroamericano coffee from Aquiares Estate underwent Anaerobic Honey processing, an innovative fermentation technique where fully ripe cherries are mechanically de-pulped and then placed in a sealed plastic tank with mosto to create an anaerobic environment. Temperature and pH are monitored twice daily during fermentation, which continues for approximately 2–4 days until the coffee reaches a pH of 4.3, after which it is washed and dried in a micro-lot Guardiola dryer. Under Diego Robelo's leadership, Aquiares has become a trailblazer in specialty coffee through excellent agricultural management, embracing new varieties like the Centroamericano, and experimenting with innovative processing methods, while also serving as a model for sustainable, equitable production in the broader specialty coffee industry.

Sara Gutierrez from Buenavista, Colombia has transformed her family's fifth-generation coffee farm by pursuing specialty coffee innovation rather than traditional cost-cutting methods. Her Yellow Colombia variety is processed using carbonic maceration, where whole cherries ferment in a CO₂-rich environment for 96 hours to develop exceptional clarity, layered complexity, and vibrant fruit-forward flavours. This processing technique produces a remarkably expressive cup with refined sweetness, silky mouthfeel, and bright finish, demonstrating how experimentation and risk-taking in fermentation methods can challenge industry traditions and create world-class specialty coffee recognized on the cupping table.