Donkey Estate Anaerobic Slow Dry Natural Coffee - Is Anaerobic Slow Dry Natural Coffee Delicious?

FrontStreet Coffee: An Introduction to Donkey Estate Anaerobic Slow Natural Coffee

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A Record-Breaking Result

In the 2019 competition, the estate's natural coffee scored 95.25 points, while its washed coffee scored 95 points, setting new records in both categories. The previous record had been set by Elida Estate one year earlier.

The Anaerobic Slow Drying Method

To reach the highest score ever recorded for a natural coffee, the Lamastus family used the anaerobic slow drying (ASD) method to ferment the coffee before natural processing.

Wilford and his team fermented the coffee in anaerobic tanks for 5 days, then slowly dried it over a period of 5 weeks.

Insights from the Producer

"Most coffee is air-dried within two to three weeks. We make sure the coffee dries over a longer period while carefully protecting its clean flavor," Wilford Lamastus Jr. told Global Coffee Report.

Flavor Profile Analysis

"The combination of anaerobic fermentation and slow drying" creates a new flavor profile for coffee grown below 1,700 meters or from non-Geisha varieties, transforming the cup and producing intense wine and grape flavors along with some cocoa notes. In coffee from high-altitude areas, however, the changes are more subtle. There is an elegant, restrained red wine note, or a cherry liqueur sensation, that adds complexity without losing the coffee's individual flavor notes. In other words, it remains a clean Geisha.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the controlled fermentation and long, slow drying behind this Donkey Estate lot caught your attention, the same care shows up across FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha range. Geisha, translated from the original name, is one of the most admired varieties in Arabica, prized for its distinctive floral aroma and refined sweet-tart balance; its low yield, weak disease resistance, and demanding cultivation also keep prices high, so it helps to know the different tiers before buying.

FrontStreet Emerald Red Label Geisha is the estate's flagship line: grown at 1,600-1,800 meters, cupping above 90 points, and released in numbered lots that each come from a single small plot, so buyers can choose a batch by the fine differences in flavor. FrontStreet Emerald Green Label Geisha blends several plots to express the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha character, and its lower price makes it excellent value. For anyone wanting a first taste of the famous Geisha profile, FrontStreet Boquete Geisha from Panama is an entry-level option that delivers the classic orange-blossom, honeyed sweetness, oolong tea sensation, and fine fruit acidity at a friendly price.

Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, also has Geisha Village, which grades its coffee even more strictly. FrontStreet Geisha Village Gold Label belongs to the Geisha 1931 variety, makes up 10% of the village's output, and is its top non-auction coffee, often chosen by competition baristas; the refined natural process gives it complex, rich flavors. FrontStreet Geisha Village Red Label belongs to the Gori Gesha variety, accounts for 15% of production, scores 88 or above on the SCA 100-point scale, and carries full traceability including farm block, variety, and processing date. If you want an Ethiopian single-variety estate Geisha, FrontStreet Grana Geisha, grown at the Grana Gesha farm at the Kochere and Grana Abaya junction and sun-dried on raised beds for 14-20 days, is roasted light-to-medium and shows bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-lily aroma, ripe-fruit sweetness, a silky texture, and the variety's signature refined finish.