Coffee Growth

To fulfill a coffee bean’s potential, careful selection must be exercised at each step, from growing to processing, buying, roasting, and blending. There are two commercially cultivated species of coffee tree: Arabica and Robusta. Both species are tropical evergreens, are intolerant to frost, and belong to the family Coffee.

CAFFE CHERRY BEANS COFFEES ARE MADE 100% PURE ARABICA BEANS.

There is a wide range of quality among Arabica due to differences in altitude, soil, weather, and processing. The finest Arabica are grown at elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 feet in rich volcanic soil and harvested with selective picking practices.
The Arabica species is indigenous to Ethiopia, but has been successfully transplanted to the rest of Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

The older varieties of Arabica produce the best flavor, and these somewhat fragile, older varietals require partial shade to protect the cherries from getting too much sun. Although the best tasting Arabica are grown at high elevation, the overnight temperature cannot drop below freezing; Arabica trees cannot survive frost. Elevations between 4,000 and 6,000 feet provide cooler nighttime temperatures so the cherry’s growth is slower, yielding more concentrated flavours and better acidity. Volcanic soil is rich in nutrients and provides good drainage.

COFFEE PROCESSING

There are two methods of coffee processing. After picking, most high quality coffee growers utilize the washed method to remove the green coffee from the coffee cherry. From soaking, pulping, fermenting, rinsing, sun drying, hulling and grading, the washed method provides many opportunities to select for highest quality.

The other and more commonly used method is the natural (dry) method. We sell both washed and natural coffees. In the natural method of processing, the coffee cherries are picked and then simply laid on the ground to dry in the sun. This slow drying of the fruit takes from three to four weeks; then the fruit is hulled off the green beans using grinding stones or more modern equipment.

Due to variations in weather and microorganisms that can grow in the pulp, the natural method tends to produce lower quality and less consistent tasting coffee. However, the finest natural method coffees are equal in quality to the finest washed coffees. Sumatra and Yemen are two countries that produce excellent natural method coffees.

CAFFE CHERRY BEANS’ COFFEE SELECTIVITY

Our roast master uses their extensive knowledge to select only the finest quality coffee green beans that will produce the best flavor in your cup of coffee.

Achieving consistent quality requires a diligent, persevering effort due to the variability of coffee crops, selecting these carefully require an unyielding commitment to quality. Each steps of the artisan coffee craft is, ultimately, what defines the unique character of Cherry Beans’ coffee