Coffee Special Processing Method "Single-Layer Natural Slow Fermentation"! Can Natural Processing Be Done This Way?

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Coffee beans from Ethiopia in Africa have always been my personal favorite. As the coffee industry continues to develop, not only have emerging production areas been rising, but many special processing methods have also emerged!

Let me introduce this one to you! FrontStreet Coffee's Hambela Estate Shengw Village Single Farm Single Layer Natural Slow Drying Batch 121. This bean comes from a single farm in Ethiopia, using the same "single layer natural slow fermentation method" - a very rare special batch.

What Does Single Farm in Ethiopia Mean?

To briefly explain, Ethiopia's coffee production system is dominated by small farmers, making it difficult to have single-estate coffee beans. Without single farms, there are many producers, making it challenging to trace back to the actual producers and ensure consistent quality. Although Ethiopia has advanced to using cooperatives or processing stations as the center for traceability (which is already very close to the actual producers), there's still the final mile to truly ensuring quality from producers.

The FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Guji Zone Hambela Estate Shengw Village natural bean I'm introducing today is not only Grade 1 natural beans (meaning the lowest defect rate!) but also completely from a single producer. This completely guarantees quality because the producer must take full responsibility for the quality, whether good or bad.

Hambela Estate and the Guji Zone

Ethiopia's Hambela Estate is located in the emerging coffee region - the Guji Zone. Similar to the Gedeb region, the elevation easily reaches 2000 meters, and even on some mountain roads, it reaches nearly 3000 meters. This can be described as a high-quality coffee bean region developed in recent years. For example, the famous 90+ FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Language, FrontStreet Coffee's Shakisso, and FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Queen all come from this area.

Special Processing Methods

The general natural method involves drying entire ripe coffee cherries under the sun (the most traditional method is still spreading them directly on the ground to dry...). The coffee seeds continuously ferment during the natural drying process, with the entire process taking about a month.

Hambela Estate's natural method is very special. Their natural processing uses the most meticulous refined operations. The technique involves spreading coffee cherries on raised beds in only a single layer thickness, fermenting them flat in the sun. No stacking means each bean's quality is easier to manage, resulting in better quality! The single-layer stacking method provides the perfect convection and drying environment for coffee cherries. Proper slow drying allows coffee cherries to develop optimal activity during the drying process, not only ensuring excellent flavor development but also allowing the green beans to maintain longer storage during the harvest cycle. The drying schedule is strictly controlled to around 18 days. This processing method is very innovative, with some coffee pioneers calling it SLD - Single Layer Drying/Slow Drying, meaning single-layer slow drying in Chinese.

The Farmer's Dedication

The farm owner Aman's dedication to Hambela Estate is unimaginable to ordinary people. Although this processing method can guarantee perfect coffee bean quality, it's also the most space-consuming and least production-friendly method. This approach extends the time required for each batch production. Using such drying craftsmanship not only depends on favorable weather conditions but also requires the producer's willingness to invest. Aman's efforts have guaranteed Hambela's quality, with meticulous processing methods and suitable environmental climate creating noble coffee quality.

Flavor Profile: Guji vs Yirgacheffe

So what are the flavor differences between the Guji zone and Yirgacheffe? Although both are coffee beans from Ethiopia, their tasting flavors have some subtle differences. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe and FrontStreet Coffee's Shakisso both have citrus and lemon notes of fruit tea, but in acidity, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe is more prominent, while sweetness and body are superior in FrontStreet Coffee's Shakisso. Especially, the single-layer slow natural fermentation at Hambela Estate allows the coffee cherry pulp to ferment completely, making the coffee beans' sweetness more complete. The sweet and sour tropical fruit flavors are rich in sweetness with a full body, making it a very approachable flavor. The smooth texture glides into the mouth, like warm fruit tea with the sweet and sour taste of peaches.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473