The Fruity Sweet and Sour Flavors of Natural and Washed Coffee: An Introduction to Different Coffee Bean Processing Methods

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Sun-Dried and Washed Coffee Flavor Profiles

Sun-Dried Method

Also called the natural process (sun-dried, dry, unwashed or natural), this is the oldest way of handling coffee. The beans are dried in the sun with the pulp and fruit still attached, then dry-milled to remove the skin. As a result, high-quality beans keep the sweetness of the fruit pulp and the wine-like aroma produced by fermentation.

The drawbacks are a greater susceptibility to impurities, over-fermentation or mold, and a heavy dependence on the weather. Using raised beds and turning the fruit frequently helps improve the quality.

Extremely careful attention is required to obtain high-quality sun-dried beans. When the sun-drying is done properly, the coffee has distinct fruit flavors and a bold, powerful character.

Washed Method

In the past, most high-quality coffee was washed, also known as the wet process. It relies mainly on repeated soaking and washing: the pulp and skin are fermented and removed before drying, which is how the green beans are obtained.

Because washing makes it far less likely for impurities to end up with the beans, the resulting cup is pure and its flavor profile comparatively stable.

Knowledge Expansion: In addition to coping with the rainy season, Sumatra's wet-hulling process produces distinctive earthy and herbal flavors, with a rich, mellow mouthfeel and lower acidity.

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation because we want more friends to fall in love with coffee. Every month we hold three low-discount coffee events, because FrontStreet Coffee wants more friends to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. That has been our mission for the past six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The clearest way to taste what wet-hulling does is FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesia wet-hulled Mandheling. It comes from the Toba Lake area of the Lintong region in Sumatra, where farmers strip the parchment while the beans are still half dry, leaving the green beans exposed to the air. That is what gives the coffee its typical herbal and spice notes. Roasted medium-dark, it is low in acidity and full-bodied, with caramel, dark chocolate and toast, and a long, sweet finish, a natural fit for anyone who likes a strong cup.

At the top of the Indonesian range sits FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling. PWN is a trading house that buys only the finest Mandheling lots, and Golden Mandheling is its signature. The selection standards are strict: beans of 18 mesh and above, fewer than three defects per 300 grams of green sample to reach the highest G1 grade, then three rounds of hand sorting to remove every remaining defect, which raises the cup's cleanliness and the intensity of its sweetness. In the cup you get sandalwood, herbs, spice, roasted hazelnut, caramel and dark chocolate, clean and mellow and richly layered.

If you would rather taste these flavors through an espresso machine, FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend is the shortcut. It builds on the creamy, nutty base of Brazilian coffee and adds medium-dark roasted Mandheling for butter, roasted chestnut and caramel, with Mandheling lifting the body and lending sandalwood, herbal and spice notes. A small amount of Robusta rounds out the crema, so latte art and layered Dirty drinks come easily.