Flavor Profile Introduction: Colombia Luckin Black Cup SOE El Paraiso Anaerobic Natural Process Coffee Beans

When mentioning Colombian El Paraiso coffee beans, people immediately think of various beans with distinctive and special flavors, such as Strawberry Yogurt, Cherry Blossom, Tropical Passion, and so on. FrontStreet Coffee has acquired all these coffee beans, and it can be said that El Paraiso's coffee beans are truly memorable after just one taste. The three El Paraiso coffee beans mentioned above all use double anaerobic enzyme washed processing, which is currently one of the most commonly used special processing methods at El Paraiso. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss El Paraiso's anaerobic natural coffee beans and explore the differences between anaerobic natural and double anaerobic washed processing methods.

FrontStreet Coffee - Colombian El Paraiso Anaerobic Natural Coffee Beans

Origin: Colombia, Cauca
Altitude: 2050 meters
Processing: Anaerobic Natural
Grade: SUPREMO
Variety: Bourbon

Cauca Coffee Region

Cauca Province is a Colombian coffee origin certified region with an average altitude of 1758m, reaching up to 2100m at its highest points. The region's topography, precipitation, temperature, and volcanic soil create ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. 80% of the area is mountainous, with parallel mountain ranges in the eastern and central parts, forming part of the Andes Mountains. The central mountain range includes two main volcanoes, Sotara and Petacas. Similar to other southwestern production areas, Cauca Province shows distinct monomodal precipitation patterns.

The dry season mainly occurs from August to September each year, followed by the rainy season which brings a concentrated coffee flowering period, leading to a concentrated coffee harvest season the following year. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee has found that coffee beans from the Cauca region consistently display soft berry-like acidity and stone fruit-like aftertaste in their flavor profiles.

Colombian El Paraiso

El Paraiso is a coffee farm that Mr. Diego Samuel began operating in 2008. Initially just a small 2.5-hectare family farm, the owner invested the surplus from each harvest into coffee agriculture research and continuously studied how to better produce specialty flavors. In 2015, he participated in a local regional competition for the first time and won first place. After becoming famous overnight, he gained recognition from the industry, which motivated him further in promoting specialty coffee cultivation.

Through his company Indestec (Innovacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico para la Caficultura), Diego created new innovative technologies to improve and stabilize coffee quality. He says he likes to step out of his comfort zone because it continuously helps him improve. El Paraiso currently mainly grows Bourbon, Castillo, Geisha, and other varieties, and is planning to try more different varieties.

Anaerobic Natural Processing

Anaerobic fermentation has been a very popular post-harvest processing method in recent years. It typically involves placing coffee cherries in airtight containers or in washing tanks for water fermentation. During this process, different microorganisms are used for fermentation to create special flavors. After fermentation is complete, these coffee cherries are taken for sun-drying. This is the anaerobic natural process, which results in coffee beans with distinct fermented flavors and relatively high sweetness.

Anaerobic double enzyme washed processing is relatively more complex. After coffee cherries are removed from the anaerobic environment, the skin and pulp are removed by machine, and the coffee beans with mucilage are placed in plastic bags or other airtight containers for another anaerobic fermentation. This processing method, which undergoes two anaerobic fermentations, is called double anaerobic fermentation. After the two anaerobic fermentations, the coffee beans are removed from the anaerobic environment and undergo washed processing to remove the mucilage layer before sun-drying. Coffee beans processed this way have unique flavors, strong aromas, and more pronounced acidity compared to anaerobic natural processing.

Coffee Bean Variety

The anaerobic natural coffee beans acquired by FrontStreet Coffee use the Bourbon coffee variety. Bourbon is a subspecies derived from Typica mutation and belongs to the oldest existing coffee varieties along with Typica. When green cherries mature, they turn bright red. Compared to Typica, Bourbon has wider leaves and denser growth. Although the yield is higher than Typica, the harvest period is also 2 years, making it a low-yield variety.

The coffee beans are relatively large in size, uniform in size, evenly colored with luster, and have excellent quality with wine-like acidity and sweet aftertaste. When FrontStreet Coffee's roaster received these green coffee beans, they noticed that the bean color was obviously uneven, with a faint fermented aroma and grassy scent.

How Does FrontStreet Coffee Roast El Paraiso Anaerobic Natural Coffee Beans?

Yangjia 800N, batch size: 480g. Heat to 170°C, open damper to 3, heat at 100%; return to temperature point at 1'46"; when temperature reaches 133°C, open damper to 4; when temperature reaches 146.6°C, yellowing point at 5'10",此时豆表变为黄色，青草味完全消失，进入脱水阶段，炉温至155℃，火力降到80。

At 8'17", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toast aroma clearly changes to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'07", first crack begins, open damper fully, develop for 2'00" after first crack, drop at 196.5°C.

FrontStreet Coffee El Paraiso Anaerobic Natural Coffee Beans Cupping Report

Dry Aroma: Fermented aroma
Wet Aroma: Osmanthus
Flavor: Citrus, Plum, Pineapple, Lemon, Cream, Sugarcane, Oolong Tea

FrontStreet Coffee El Paraiso Anaerobic Natural Coffee Beans Brewing Experience

Dripper: V60 #01
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine/fine sugar (sieve 80% through #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method: First wet the filter paper and preheat the dripper and coffee pot. Use 30g of water for blooming for 30 seconds. Pour with a small water stream in a circular motion to 125g, then pause. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper (timing starts from blooming). Total extraction time is 2 minutes.

Brewing Flavor: Has osmanthus aroma and a faint fermented aroma. When slurping, there are flavors of pear, citrus, lemon, sugarcane, cream, and oolong tea.

Many coffee enthusiasts have a habit when they encounter a favorite bean - they're not satisfied with just one extraction method to taste the coffee, but want to use all the tools at hand to extract it in every possible way. SOE (Single Origin Espresso) is one of the most popular personalized approaches. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will demonstrate how to make SOE using El Paraiso coffee beans.

El Paraiso Anaerobic Natural SOE Extraction Parameters Sharing

Coffee Beans: Colombia · El Paraiso
Coffee Amount: 20g
Espresso Amount: 40g
Coffee-to-Espresso Ratio: 1:2
Extraction Time: 26-32 seconds
Grind Setting: Galileo 2.0

FrontStreet Coffee uses a double dose basket, requiring 20g of coffee powder each time, with a coffee-to-espresso ratio of 1:2, meaning 40g of espresso liquid is extracted within a reasonable time. Extraction time is related to the flow rate of coffee powder. Generally, single extraction time is controlled between 20-35 seconds. If less than 20 seconds, the coffee taste tends to be thin and weak. Exceeding 35 seconds easily leads to over-extraction, causing burnt bitterness in coffee. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee controls espresso extraction time within the range of 26-32 seconds.

Before extraction, we need to first wipe the portafilter dry, turn on the grinder, grind a double dose of coffee powder, place it on an electronic scale for measurement and adjustment until reaching 20g. Then use a distributor to level the coffee powder and press down vertically with a tamper to compact the coffee puck, ensuring more stable coffee extraction.

Then turn on the extraction switch and let water flow for 1-2 seconds to wet the brew head while carrying away any residual coffee grounds. Place an electronic scale under the cup for receiving espresso and reset to 0. During extraction, place both under the brew head.

Gently lock the portafilter to the brew head and start the extraction switch. Observe the changes in the espresso flow. When the electronic scale shows 40g of espresso extracted, taking about 30 seconds, pull down the extraction switch. Brewing parameters will vary subtly based on daily air humidity and coffee bean conditions, so adjustments to coffee amount, grind setting, and espresso extraction volume may be needed.

The extracted SOE can be enjoyed directly. Remember to pair with a glass of water to cleanse your palate, allowing you to taste the dense crema and the spice and berry aromas of the underlying coffee liquid. If you can't accept the intense bitterness of espresso, you can also add ice water or warm water in a 1:4 ratio according to your preference to make a refreshing SOE Americano, or add steamed fresh milk in a 1:6 ratio to soften the texture, creating a delicious SOE latte.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473