The Fermentation Project
One farm. One lot. Four fermentations.
The Fermentation Project is a global cupping initiative led by James Hoffmann, fermentation specialist Lucia Solis and importer Caravela. The idea is straightforward: take the same coffee from the same farm, process it four different ways and taste them side by side. Not to find a winner, but to understand what fermentation actually does.
For even the best roasters, the impact of fermentation on flavor and quality is still a bit of a mystery.
The Coffee
Finca San Miguel Urías, Antigua Valley, Guatemala. Owned by Hector and Lilian Leal and operated under Rueda Farms. The variety is roughly 85% Caturra, 15% H1 and a small amount of Bourbon.
All four lots were processed by Lucia Solis working directly with the farm team. Every batch was depulped, fermented, washed and dried to a specific protocol. These aren't four coffees that happened to turn out different. They are four deliberate experiments on the same raw material.
The Four Processes
All four are washed coffees. The experiment is in what happens during fermentation, or in one case, what happens when there is none.
1. Mechanically Demucilaged
Mucilage is removed by friction and water, so very little fermentation occurs before drying. This is the control lot, a baseline that shows you what the terroir and variety contribute on their own before fermentation enters the picture.
2. Wild Fermentation
48-hour submerged fermentation with whichever microorganisms are naturally present in the fruit and farm environment. The traditional washed process as it has always been done.
3. Lactobacillus Inoculated
48 hours of submerged fermentation driven by lactic acid bacteria.
4. Yeast Inoculated
48-hour submerged fermentation directed by a selected Saccharomyces yeast strain, chosen for a defined and reproducible profile.
Want to see the farm and hear James and Lucia walk through each process? Check out the video below.
Why There Are No Tasting Notes
You won't find them here. That's intentional and it's a rule of the project. The point of tasting four coffees side by side is to reach your own conclusions. We're not going to suggest what you should find before you find it.
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