Anaerobic coffee, what it is and why you want it

Coffee cherries at Hacienda La Minita in Costa Rica

We’re excited -- and proud -- to be bringing three anaerobic coffees to you from one of our favorite farms, Hacienda La Minita in Costa Rica. You may have heard the term “anaerobic” before, perhaps related to coffee, or perhaps related to exercise. It means “relating to, involving, or requiring an absence of free oxygen.”

For coffee, this means that an oxygen-free period is part of the fermentation process. Thanks to our close working relationship with Hacienda La Minita, when they told us they were considering experimenting with anaerobic coffee we immediately offered our support. We’ve been eagerly waiting to taste the results. Well, the coffees are in -- and they are amazing. Each of the three coffees has been in an hermetically sealed stainless steel tank for 72 hours, resulting in coffee that our Director of Coffee, Jeremy Behne, calls, “vibrant, fruity and tropical.”

 Head Roaster Travis Spear explains, “the concept is very similar to processing wine. If a wine becomes too oxidized during fermentation, acetaldehyde can convert to acetic acid - and, fun fact - that particular organic acid tastes a whole lot like vinegar. In coffee, the benefits of approaching fermentation this way aren’t all that different. The CO2 rich atmosphere created by the anaerobic environment kind of just makes anything fruity or otherwise vibrant about a given coffee ‘pop’.” Each of these lots is 100% Caturra, grown at Hacienda La Minita in Costa Rica. The differences come exclusively from the processing. The three coffees, from the Tarrazu region, Costa Rica, La Minita, “Lilo” Nano Lot:

• Hacienda La Minita, Anaerobic Natural: intense notes of agave and pineapple, which shifts to watermelon as it cools.

• Hacienda La Minita, Anaerobic Honey: Up front, this coffee is full-on granadilla (a type of sweet passionfruit). Behind that fruity goodness, you’ll find a healthy backbone of fresh walnut. As it cools, however, you’ll notice that a pleasantly nostalgic note comes to light; cinnamon toast crunch.

• Hacienda La Minita, Anaerobic Fully Washed: Undeniably sweet, there is a veritable cocktail of tropical fruit on offer. Pairing with this is a rich bouquet of florals that lean heavily towards beach rose and hibiscus.

If you’d like to taste these coffees, we’ll have a cupping on Saturday, August 3 at 10:30 a.m. at 1 Diamond St., and will be making these coffees available presale at that time. They are $25 per 12 oz bag. These coffees are extremely limited, and are available only at Diamond St. and online. Please note, these coffees are roasted on Mondays only, available for in person pick up at Diamond St. only, on Tuesdays. If you order online and order other coffees, your entire order may be picked up at Diamond St. on Tuesdays or will be shipped to you on a Tuesday.