El Salvador Finca El Gobiado

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Uh, oh!

You have just stumbled into an age old debate.

For years now there has been quite the divisive debate about “process”. What do we mean by “process”? Well, there are a few ways to get the coffee seeds (coffee beans) out of the cherries in which they grow and develop.

We call them the Dry Process and Wet Process, and although there are a few other methods, we will focus on those two.

Dry or traditional drying is done by throwing the ripe cherries that have just been picked onto drying grounds or beds where they are left to dry in the sun. The mucilage dries on the seed and imparts its flavors onto the seed itself, in some cases producing a very intense cup of coffee with strong cherry notes. The black, dried cherry is still present on the seed and is later mechanically hulled to remove the remaining skins.

In the Wet process, the cherry is picked and is mechanically de-pulped and then washed, sometimes with a prior short period of fermentation. The cherries are then dried on drying grounds or raised beds.

For the most part the two processes produce very different flavor profiles and there starts the debate.

Some say naturals (dry process) are better in flavor because of the intensity of sweet cherry notes present. Others say washed (wet process) is better because it is the purest representation of variety and terroir.

Now, as an Inner Core member you get to decide!

Here is what we know:

Finca Gobiado is a family owned and operated farm near the town of Concepcion De Ataco in the Ilamatepec mountain range. The farm is a 30 acre farm which is considered to be fairly large in Central America and has been in the Alfaro family for four generations. The Bourbon Variety is known for round flavors and sweetness, and this particular lot has both Red and Orange cherries to add to its complexity.

This coffee is a natural processed (dry processed) coffee and, as a result, provides the added bonus of saving a lot of water, therefore preserving a valuable resource.

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