How to Brew Sherry Coffee Beans with Staged Extraction for Optimal Flavor? Whiskey Barrel Fermentation Processing Method

A rich whiskey aroma with abundant notes of roasted almond, hazelnut and cocoa, gentle acidity, high sweetness and a delicate texture—these are the flavor characteristics of FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras whiskey barrel fermented coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian coffee also uses this barrel treatment.

The Sherry Barrel Innovation

Sherry barrels are the casks used to age sherry, the famous fortified wine produced in the sunny Jerez region of southern Spain. Sherry production traditionally passes through the Solera System, a stepped maturation procedure that blends wines of different ages. What would happen if that kind of barrel seasoning were applied to coffee, and what reactions would follow? Let us explore this sherry bean with FrontStreet Coffee.

Honduras: Coffee Growing Region

Honduras borders Guatemala to the west and Nicaragua to the east and consists mainly of mountains and highlands. It has 280,000 hectares of coffee plantations, predominantly small-scale: most farms are smaller than 3.5 hectares, and these smallholdings account for sixty percent of Honduras's total coffee production.

Masaguara is a municipality in the Intibucá department of Honduras, in the southern part of the Jesús de Otoro valley, surrounded by mountains and hills and given over largely to coffee growers.

Coffee cultivation is the main source of the local economy, while the valley floor is used for basic grains and livestock. According to Mr. Alberto Membreño's "Indigenous Place Names," the name Masaguara means "place of deer."

FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Sherry Selection

Because of its outstanding flavor, FrontStreet Coffee selected this Honduras Sherry for its lineup. Most coffee grown in Honduras is Arabica, represented mainly by Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Typica and Pacas. This FrontStreet Honduras Sherry is Caturra.

FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-light roast and a staged extraction. The coffee is brewed with 30g of water for the bloom, followed by a small stream in a circular motion to 125g for the first stage. After the water level drops, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and the coffee bed is about to be exposed, remove the filter cone.

The result is an intensely rich fermented wine aroma with front-end notes of vanilla and cream. On the palate you will find whiskey, berries, almonds and dark chocolate.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee is just as versatile, and FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian lineup covers both the rich and the fruit-forward ends of the spectrum. FrontStreet Colombia Huila comes from Huila province in the southern Central Cordillera, Colombia's most famous specialty region, where coffee is planted above 1,500 meters on hills ringed by mountains and where the country's most important rivers converge, bringing abundant water and humidity. FrontStreet's washed Huila is roasted medium-dark, bringing out dark chocolate, nutty sweetness, moderate oils and a full body. It suits pour-over and French press, and also extracts well in a moka pot or espresso machine for Americanos and lattes.

For a more aromatic, fruit-forward cup, FrontStreet Colombia Diviso Estate Sidra is processed with anaerobic natural fermentation. Colombian coffee was traditionally washed, but recent years have brought a wave of experimental processing; anaerobic fermentation, sometimes called carbonic maceration, is fermentation in a low-oxygen or oxygen-free environment, usually in a pressure-resistant stainless steel tank where temperature, time and pH are controlled. Anaerobic natural and anaerobic washed are the best-known forms. FrontStreet Sidra uses the anaerobic natural method, which develops richer tropical fruit aromas, and a medium-light roast presents passion fruit, grape, apricot and dried fruit whether you brew it as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag or moka pot.

If you have a home espresso machine or a moka pot, FrontStreet Specialty Blend is the baristas' strong recommendation. It is an espresso blend built for cafe use, combining the creamy nuttiness of Brazilian coffee with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee. It extracts with a fine golden crema and pairs superbly with milk for a rich, smooth latte, making it very friendly to beginners, and it also serves as the base for Americanos, cappuccinos, mochas and other standard espresso drinks.