More Trends In Coffee Processing: Barrel Aged Coffee
Through its long history in coffee production, Colombia has traditionally produced four coffee varieties at large scale: Caturra, Castillo Typica and Bourbon. However, even though farmers have planted many other varieties with higher market value, Caturra also has earned a place in specialty coffee.
In addition to being produced with higher quality standards, producers are experimenting with coffee processing. This results in funky flavour profiles and highlights the characteristics of these traditionally grown varieties.
Together with controlled fermentation, the coffee industry has introduced other processing methods in order to enable producers to differentiate themselves and add value to their coffees. One of them is barrel-aged coffee. Let’s explore this processing method.
Infused coffee
During the coffee fermentation process, producers can control different variables. Some of them are temperature, time, environment, and yeast and bacterial activity.
In order to give specific sensory attributes to coffee, some ingredients -like fruit, spices, herbs, yeasts and more—can be added during the processing stage, as fermentation occurs. Although the use of these additives has been highly controverted, it creates new flavours in your cup of coffee.
A coffee can also be considered infused when flavours are added to roasted coffee or any other stage of the production process.
So, can you “age” coffee?
Over the years, the specialty coffee movement has been compared to wine and even borrowed practices such as processing techniques, sensory evaluation methods, the concept of terroir and more.
Like wine itself, whiskey, rum and other alcoholic beverages are traditionally put into wooden barrels for months in order to influence the flavour. The same can be done with green coffee beans, generally using barrels that have been previously used to produce other beverages. This is considered a type of infused coffee. Therefore, you will taste some specific flavour notes from the wood in your final cup.
Our Special Edition Santa Monica coffee is a Naturally processed, rum barrel aged coffee. This Caturra coffee comes from the Quindio region in Colombia. Situated in the famous coffee triangle, coffee accounts for 34% of the region’s GDP. Thanks to its volcanic soil, Quindío generally produces coffees with fruity and herbal notes, and medium acidity.
Jairo Arcila and his family have a decades-long history in coffee production. His two sons co-founded Cofinet, a coffee trading company. Thanks to them, we are able to include this incredible coffee in our offer.
With his expertise, Jairo manages 5 coffee farms in Colombia. Santa Monica is the largest farm and its planted with Castillo and Caturra, together with other native species to provide shade trees.
With tasting notes of rum, raisin, ripe grapes and orange peel, this filter coffee roast is perfect to enjoy with sweet treats or alone to taste the product of Jairo’s knowledge in coffee production.
Buy this limited edition coffee here!
Photo credit: Adam Cohn
